Union
by dedanaan
Summary: After six months of peace and quiet, something happens to call the Inner Senshi into action again. Who are the five mysterious strangers and where do they come from? Are the girls in for nothing but trouble?
1. The End of Tranquility

Chapter 1

By deDanaan

The End of Tranquility

The portal swirled, dark and menacing, in the centre of the room. The druid studied it and nodded to himself. It was time. He raised a hand to signal the guard posted at the door. 

"It is time to fetch the Travellers." he told the bowing soldier. He didn't turn to watch as the man hurried out of the room, content to gaze into the spiralling patterns of the vortex, a strange light in his eyes. 

The five came into the room with a swish of cloak and stopped short at the sight that greeted them. The druid, Kalpernus, turned and greeted them with a tight smile. 

"Gentlemen, the time is nigh. The moment that you have all been trained for is finally here." 

The five men bowed, and Kalpernus gestured to the portal. "There is no need to prolong the moment as we are fully confident in your abilities, and do not doubt your training. Good luck." He stepped back and watched as the five stepped into the portal one by one and disappeared. He waited a few minutes and banished the inter-dimensional doorway, which was using up a great amount of power, before moving into another room that ran off the chamber the Travellers had just vacated. 

"Nothing left to do for a while but sit back and enjoy the show." he said to himself. He moved to a large pool in the centre of the room and waved a hand over it. The surface stilled and a scene appeared of a sunlit park. The view was unlike any seen here, in a world bathed in perpetual twilight. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

An alarm clock sang out, and a hand reached up to silence it. "Okay, okay! I'm up." A tussled blonde head surfaced from underneath the blankets and a young woman stumbled to where a dressing gown hung from the back of the room door. "Shingo better not be hogging the bathroom again....Just because his hormones finally kicked in....I was almost late for the first time in months yesterday because of him." the young woman mumbled to herself as she left the room. A black cat disentangled itself from the wreckage of the bed and moved to the floor to await the girl's return. 

Towel drying her hair, the young woman came back into the room, singing softly to herself. She didn't notice the cat at her feet and accidentally stepped on a paw. 

"Yeowww!" The cat almost jumped into the girl's arms. "Usagi! Do you ever watch where you are going?" The girl stopped and shook herself out of her daydream. 

"Gomen nasai, Luna. I didn't expect you to sit right there." Her apology was real, and Luna nodded that it had been accepted. 

"Artemis has called a meeting today, and he wants everyone to meet at the temple after school is over. He'd like Mamoru to attend too." Luna stopped speaking and started to lick the paw Usagi had stepped on. 

"I can call on him on my way to school, Luna. Since I made that bet with Rei at the beginning of the year, I'm amazed at the amount of free time I have. It's unreal how much of your life detention can take up." 

"Yes," answered Luna, "I am amazed at how one bet could make you pull your socks up so much. And a definite honours candidate this year. It's almost too much for one cat to bear!" 

"Cut it out, Luna." Usagi shook her head, and moved over to the vanity to brush her hair. 

"You know this is my senior year and I had promised my parents that I wouldn't screw it up. The bet with Rei just makes it easier to stick to my guns. I really want to show them all that I can do it. Especially Rei Hino, as she promised to pay for an evening on the town for all of the scouts and any escorts they may bring....I get to pick the place, so she had better have started saving for it." She lapsed into her soft song again as she finished her hair, and turned to get her clothes out of the closet. 

Five minutes later, she had scooped up her homework and schoolbag and was on her way out the door. She ran all the way to Mamoru's building and caught her breath in the elevator. She could have breakfast with him and still be at school on time. Why did I waste so much time sleeping in? she asked herself. She knocked on the door of his apartment and stood looking off down the hallway as she awaited an answer. 

"Hello?...oh, hi Usako." Mamoru said as he opened the door. On hearing his voice, she looked around and smiled. As she raised a hand to caress his cheek, he leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. 

"Hello, Mamo-chan. Do you think we can share breakfast? I have some news for you." The dark-haired man nodded and stepped back, motioning for her to go inside. 

As they sat eating he marvelled for the thousandth time about Usagi's appetite. It had not diminished one bit since they had first met, more than four years ago. Then he noticed for the first time that she was wearing a hat, and hadn't bothered to remove it when she sat down to eat. 

"Usako?" he asked. "Aren't you going to take off your hat?" He watched her start guiltily. Oh oh! She hadn't gone and done something stupid like get a Mohawk, had she? Usagi slowly lifted one hand to the hat and pulled it off her head. Mamoru stared. She had changed her hairstyle but not her hair. He gave a small sigh of relief and noticed that she was blushing furiously. "Are you okay? What's the matter, don't you like it?" He stared at her new style, soft and free, spilling like molten gold around her shoulders. He had an urge to go over and bury his hands and face in it, and moved to where she sat and got down on his knees, he looked deeply into her liquid blue eyes and stroked a hand through her hair. 

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you suit your hair like this. It makes you look older than eighteen. If you're not sure how you feel about it you should wear it like this for a few days so you'll have a better idea of what you and the others think." He leaned in and kissed her passionately, then, leaving her breathless in her chair, he returned to his and winked rakishly at her. She smiled at him as she finished her breakfast and he continued. "Now what is it you have to tell me? You said you had some news when I answered the door." 

"Artemis has called a meeting of the Senshi today at the temple. Luna said he wants Rei to read the fire and that he also wanted me to get you to come." She paused, "I know you don't usually attend our meetings, but he must have something big to talk about." She looked at her watch and raised her eyebrows. She snagged one last pastry off the table and scooped up her stuff with her free hand. "Bye, Mamo-chan...gotta run!" She managed to plant a kiss on his forehead on the way out the door. 

"Can I give you a ride?" he called after her. 

"No thanks! If I don't arrive by my own steam, all bets are off." He came to the door in time to see her step into the elevator. "See you later!" she called with a backward wave. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Makoto was running as fast as her legs could carry her. She had slept in and was running half an hour behind schedule. She had decided to cut through the park to save two blocks and was halfway across the green space when the wind suddenly picked up and she heard a rumbling behind her. She pulled up and stopped, panting deeply for a few seconds until she caught her breath. At the same time she was catching her breath, she felt fear at what she might find behind her there. They had enjoyed six months of peace and quiet since their last battle and she wasn't sure she wanted to face anything else so soon. She had wanted to get this year over with as little incidents as possible so she would be free to do what she wished. Then there was a flash of light that slightly dazed her even though she was facing away from its source. The light and wind faded and Mako turned to see what had just happened. There, in a scorched area, five figures lay prone, cloaks covering their faces. 

Were they dead? She wondered to herself. I don't like this whole scene. She thought as she looked around to make sure no-one was around. When she was sure she was alone she held up her wand and shouted. 

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!" 

In a matter of seconds Makoto was gone, replaced by the Senshi, Sailor Jupiter. She moved forward and felt for a pulse on the closest figure. There was one, albeit faint. She moved around to the others and found they were alive too, just stunned. She pulled out her communicator and sent out a call to the others. 

Sailor moon arrived first, as she had just been entering the park when Jupiter's call came through. 

"Hey, Jupiter. We're gonna land detention today for sure!" 

"We sure are!" she replied. "Okay, here's what happened. I was running through the park because I was behind schedule and didn't want to land detention." Both scouts smiled at that, knowing detention was inevitable now--they'd never get back to school on time. Jupiter continued. "Then a wind started up behind me and it was accompanied by a rumbling and a flash of light. When I turned around, I found these five lying on this scorched section of earth." She gestured behind her at the unconscious forms. Sailor Mars, Mercury, and Venus came to the scene just as Jupiter was finishing, and Luna and Artemis trailed in a few seconds later. 

"Do you sense anything, Mars? Are they from the Negaverse?" Sailor Moon asked. Mars held up a hand to silence her and concentrated on the five figures lying in front of her. 

"I can't sense anything that feels like Nega energy, but their energy is not the same as ours. I can tell you they are not from this time or place, but nothing about their intentions as I cannot read their souls." 

"This is why I had called the meeting." Artemis spoke up. I had monitored some strange readings over the past few days. I thought at first that it might just be a random blip, or just a ghost reading of something else, but it never went away and just grew in intensity. I knew it was in this park, but when I came to check it out yesterday, I couldn't see or feel anything wrong." 

Jupiter butted in, always impatient. "What about them?" She cocked her head in the direction of the strangers. "We should do something-- Don't you think we should try to help these guys now we know they're not from the Negaverse? Maybe get them to a hospital or something and figure out who they are and what they want later." Everyone came back to the situation at hand and Mercury replied. 

"My mother is working the day shift this month. We could take them to her hospital and say that her daughter was on the scene and recommended her." She looked around at the others. "I am always visiting her at work, so I will be able to keep tabs on our friends surreptitiously." 

"They will be too heavy and cumbersome to carry to the hospital, so I suggest you use the Sailor Teleport." Luna advised them. As they moved to place all of the figures together in one small spot they nodded in agreement. Each girl noticed that her charge wore a veil like cloth over their face so that only their eyes were visible. Sailor moon barely resisted the urge to peek underneath one. They formed a circle around the figures they had just gathered together and joined hands. 

"MOON COSMIC POWER!" 

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!" 

"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!" 

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!" 

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!" 

"SAILOR TELEPORT!" They called in unison, and a fraction of a second later they blinked out of Luna and Artemis's presence. 

"They're getting powerful, aren't they?" Artemis commented as soon as the Senshi had vanished. 

"Yes they are." Luna agreed. "They could barely manage themselves two years ago. To think they have come so far in their training fairly warms my heart." Both Moon Cats laughed. 

"Let's get back and see what other readings have been recorded for us to decipher while we were gone." The two guardians moved quickly off through the park. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Kalpernus threw back his head and laughed. He had watched the portal materializing in that other world and the five Travellers fall down stunned by the force of being wrenched from one dimension to another. He was ecstatic. It worked. He thought to himself. We knew it wouldn't kill them to go through it. I just hope they retain all their memories. That had been a worry, as they had no way to test it beforehand, and it wasn't their usual way of coming to earth. He stared at the pool harder, as if trying to see something microscopic, and watched as a young woman with auburn-brown hair caught up in a pony tail came into view. She seemed to be inspecting the scene, and then she looked around as if suddenly realizing she was doing something wrong and didn't want to have anyone see her. He watched as she held a wand into the air and said something. He couldn't tell what it was though, as he was only receiving visual relay of the arrival point. The feed shimmered and then there was someone else standing in place of the girl. He drew a sharp hissing breath as he realized what she was. "Wake up you fools!" He hissed at the pool. "She is one of them. Wake up, Agate Sadar, and bond her." He watched as others like her joined the green clad girl and they discussed some things, their heads close together. He watched as the five young women dragged the Travellers into a small circle and surrounded them, clasping hands. They called something in unison and the whole party blinked out, leaving behind two cats, one white and one black. The image of the arrival point disappeared at that moment, leaving the pool a murky green. 

"Damn it all!" Kalpernus yelled, scaring the guard who was standing sleepily at his post by the door. "I lost my fix on them with that teleport. It could take me weeks to pinpoint them again." He slammed a fist into the wall next to where he was sitting. He was not impressed, and neither would the High-King be. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

The scouts arrival in the emergency room where Dr. Mizuno was working, caused a great stir, and the girls felt a bit sheepish at the attention. Sailor Moon explained to Ami's mother that her daughter had been on the scene of an accident not far from school. She had suggested that they bring them here. Dr. Mizuno accepted responsibility for the five people now lying unconscious in the middle of the ER floor. The Senshi then took their leave and teleported out from the hospital to the temple grounds. Each of them were thoroughly drained. They looked wearily at each other after they had reverted to their normal forms. 

"Hey, when did you get your hair done, Usagi-chan?" asked Mina, noticing the usual odango were missing. 

"I just felt like making a change for a little while. When I woke up this morning I wanted to try something different. So what do you think?" Usagi asked them. 

"I like it!" chorused Ami and Mako in unison. 

"We really look like sisters now, except I have a ribbon in my hair." chimed Mina. 

"You would have to go and spoil my fun, Usagi." said Rei. "Now how can I call you odango-atama?" This started a fierce tongue sticking contest between the two of them. The others groaned. 

"So, shall we take the rest of the day off or should we go in late and just sleep in detention later? It's inevitable we'll be there today as we've missed the first period completely." said Mako as she leaned against a nearby tree for support. 

"We have to go in, I don't think any of us can con our relatives into thinking we got sick on the way to school, and if we don't have a reason for not coming in at all that's worth a week of detention. I should know." Usagi answered. "And anyway, sleeping in class will be like reliving the good old times." She grinned at them all. 

"Oh, Usagi-chan!" The others mock scolded her, but they knew they would just have to go and face the consequences. 

"I'll meet you guys back at the temple after detention, then." said Rei as she walked off in the opposite direction of the other four scouts. Because she was a Shinto priestess, she needed a different education from the rest of them and was enrolled in a private school. The other girls retrieved their backpacks from their dimensional pockets and headed off to Jubaan High. 

After school and detention--where they were able to catch up on a little sleep--Rei, Usagi and Mina were met back at the temple by Mamoru, Luna, and Artemis. Ami and Mako had made a detour to the hospital as popping in to see Dr. Mizuno would be the perfect cover for checking up on the five mysteries they had brought in earlier. The girls filled Mamoru in on all the day's events as they waited for Ami and Mako. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Dr. Mizuno was having a very strange day. First, those Super-Heroes, the Sailor Senshi had shown up in the middle of the emergency room toting five unconscious figures. Ami was supposed to have been on the scene of some sort of accident, and that worried her. Then the Senshi had ported out as suddenly as they had arrived, leaving her standing in the midst of the slumped forms. She motioned for others to come and help her get them into examination rooms. Two of the men had concussions, but the others seemed fine, just drained. Strange? She thought to herself. It had been about six or seven months since she had seen anything like it. She shook her head and went about her duties.. When she had come back to check on them at three o'clock, three were gone from their rooms. The two who had suffered concussions remained, and still showed no signs of waking. As security searched the hospital for the three missing John Does, Dr. Mizuno was filling out a report at the nurses station. She looked up as Ami called her name. 

"Okaasan! What's going on?" Ami was looking around at all the activity. "Did the Sailor Senshi show up earlier with some guys?" 

"Hello Ami, hello Makoto. Yes, they did show up with five unconscious men in tow, and that's what all the commotion is about right now. We seem to have lost three of them." Ami and Mako looked at each other and back at Dr. Mizuno. 

"How could the hospital have lost three of them?" gasped Mako. 

"The three who are missing were not really hurt. They just seemed drained. The other two seem to have suffered blows to the head, and still haven't regained consciousness." replied Ami's mother. 

"Could we see them, Okaasan?" Ami asked. "I feel kind of bad because I was there when they got hurt." 

"I'm sorry, I can't let you see them. I have enough trouble on my hands as it is." A page came over the PA system for Dr. Mizuno to report to trauma room three. She hugged Ami. "I have to get back to work so I'll see you tonight, dear. We'll talk then. I want to know what happened this morning." She looked meaningfully at her daughter. Ami's spirits fell, her mother was no fool and would not rest until she knew what had happened. "Goodbye, girls." Ami and Mako sprinted out of the hospital and ran all the way back to the temple with their news. 


	2. The Plot Thickens

. 

Chapter 2

  


by deDanaan

  


The Plot Thickens

  


At the temple everyone sat around a table eating snacks as they waited for Ami and Mako to show up. They all looked up as they heard a crash in the corridor. 

"If Yuuichiro is eavesdropping..." began Rei. She tapered off as she heard feminine moans from outside the door. Mamoru stood up and slid the door open. Everyone grinned at the sight of Ami and Makoto lying in a tangle of limbs just outside the room. 

"Hey!" Usagi called to them through a mouthful of food. "I thought I was supposed to be the clumsy one!" That was too much for the others and they bent double with laughter, all semblance of composure thrown to the wind. Ami and Mako blushed scarlet and looked sheepish as they tried to get up off the floor and maintain the last scrap of dignity they had. By the time they had brushed themselves off and caught their breath the laughter had subsided. Ami began to speak as she reached over and poured herself a cup of green tea. 

"We have news from the hospital. It seems that three of our 'friends' have disappeared." 

"What!" chorused the others in unison. Ami continued. 

"The two who remain have suffered some sort of concussion, but my mother said the other three just seemed drained, and only needed rest. When she went to check in on them during her afternoon rounds she discovered they were gone." She took and sip of tea and Makoto took up the story. 

"The hospital was hopping when we got there. Security guards and orderlies were combing every floor but nothing turned up. When we asked if we could peek in on the remaining two--using the excuse that Ami had been on the scene of the accident--Dr. Mizuno wouldn't let us, as she said the hospital had enough trouble on their hands. Then she had to get back to work and we ran all the way back here to tell you the news." It seemed no one knew what to say and they all sat around in silence for a few minutes. Then Artemis spoke up. 

"I don't like this. Luna and I spent most of today analyzing the readings we recorded in the park. They're like nothing we've seen before. It isn't Nega energy, but it isn't anything from earth either." 

Rei added her own thoughts to Artemis's observations. "When I tried to read them this morning I got the same impression. Neither good nor evil, but definitely not from around here. And I couldn't really get an imprint of their spirits." She shivered and hugged her arms tightly. "Now that three of them have disappeared, I have the willies." Everyone else in the room nodded in agreement. They had had peace and quiet for a little over six months and it had been nice, but it seemed like it was coming to an end, being blown out of Tokyo on an ill wind. 

Luna looked around the room at everyone. "I have an idea. We should split up into groups and look around in the vicinity of the hospital....Ami, what time does your mother's shift end?" 

"She gets off at six, why?" Ami answered. 

"We could really use a closer look at the two gentlemen who are still guests at the hospital. If we disguised Usagi using the Luna Pen so that she looked like you mother, the two of you could get into their rooms and you could check them out. Your Mini-Computer and Visor have powerful analytical properties that might turn up something we've missed." Ami nodded, but Usagi looked hesitant. Luna continued, "The rest of us can search in the surrounding area and maybe even head back to the park, if we have time, to see if we can turn up anything new." 

Everyone agreed and split into teams. They also agreed not to transform unless it was absolutely necessary, and to maintain communicator silence with Usagi and Ami unless contacted by them first. Mamoru, Mina, and Artemis took the area to the north of the hospital while Rei, Mako, and Luna took the area to the south. Usagi and Ami went to the hospital to watch and wait.   


Usagi and Ami were hiding in the bushes by the hospital parking lot waiting for Dr. Mizuno to leave. Usagi was fidgeting and it was beginning to get to the usually cool Ami. "Will you cut it out, Usagi! You're driving me to distraction." She was busy keying away at her Mini-Computer. 

"I can't help it, Ami. I'm nervous. I haven't used the pen for a while and never to disguise myself as someone I know." She paused for a minute. "Hey, why didn't I do this before? Think of all those meetings with my teachers that my parents would never have had to go to if I had've thought about showing up disguised as one of them." Ami shook her head in mock disgust. Just then, Dr. Mizuno came out of the main door of the hospital and went to her car. They watched as she got into it and drove away. 

"Poor Okaasan. She looks really tired. It must have been a very tough day." Ami commented to Usagi as she watched her root around in her dimensional pocket for the Luna Pen. She finally fished it out with a triumphant grin and held it up above her head. 

"LUNA PEN DISGUISE POWER. Make me look like Dr. Mizuno." she called. A moment later she heard Ami gasp. 

"Wow, good job! You look just like my mum. Okay, let's go and get this over with." The two of them stepped out of the bush and entered the hospital. 

The desk clerk looked up as they came in. "Forget something, Doctor?" she asked. Usagi/Dr. Mizuno nodded and the clerk continued. "It's not surprising after the kind of day we've had." Then she noticed that Dr. Mizuno's daughter was with her. "Hey, Ami! How's it going?" 

"Very well thank you, Shimizu-san." Ami turned to her mother and tugged on her sleeve. 

"Can we hurry, Okaasan? I have a homework problem I'd like to discuss with you when we get home." After nodding at the desk clerk again, Usagi/Dr. Mizuno allowed herself to be led in the direction of the observation rooms by her impatient daughter. 

The clerk shook her head and laughed. "Kids!" 

When they were out of sight, Usagi let out a gasp of breath. She hadn't realized she'd been holding it. "Phew!" she whispered. "This is more nerve-wracking than being Sailor Moon." Ami nodded absently and continued checking charts for patient names. At the end of the corridor they found the room containing John Doe #1 and #2. 

"Okay, Usagi-chan. They're in here." whispered Ami. "Their location is to our advantage. It's quiet in this wing and the next rounds don't begin for another half hour." She knew quite a bit about the habits of this hospital, as it was where her mother spent most of her time. She opened the door and slipped quietly into the room, motioning for her companion to follow. 

The two men were hooked up to machines with monitors that displayed their condition in bright green. Usagi went over to one machine and seemed almost hypnotized by the regular pulse running across its face every few seconds. Ami grabbed her arm and shook her out of it. "Listen, Usagi-chan, I want you to go through the drawers and closets and check out their personal belongings. I doubt they were removed from the room, and may give us some clues as to where they come from. I'm going to transform so I can utilize my Visor." Ami pulled her transformation wand out of her dimensional pocket and held it above her head. 

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!" she called out, and in a matter of seconds Sailor Mercury was standing in her place. She quickly activated her Visor and began gathering data which she furiously keyed into her Mini-Computer. "Interesting..." she intoned as she watched the readouts scrolling across the inner surface of her Visor. 

"What?" Usagi asked as she began opening doors around the room in her search for their personal effects. 

"They seem to possess some sort of innate magical abilities but I'm not sure what just yet. They are also healthy males in their mid-twenties and seem to have the same basic genetic make-up as we do, although there are some small differences." replied Mercury. 

"Uh-huh," Usagi commented to no one in particular. One of the doors opened up into a small closet that contained two distinctly different sets of clothing. "I've found their stuff, Mercury." She said over her shoulder as she lifted the hangers out to get a closer look at the items on them. One outfit was gold and the other was white. "I wonder who owns what?" she asked as she looked over at the occupants of the beds. She brought them over to where her friend was standing to see is she needed to scan them as well. 

Mercury turned to look at the clothing and analyzed the material. "The cloth used to make these outfits is very peculiar. It seems to be stain, tear and temperature resistant." 

"So are our fukus, so what?" Usagi/Dr. Mizuno responded. Mercury frowned. 

"That's just my point. Our fukus renew themselves with every transformation. These clothes aren't even on their bodies, they're hanging in a closet and there isn't a mark on them. Don't you think that's strange? We did find them lying on a patch of scorched ground this morning, after all." 

"I wonder where they shop." Usagi mused out loud. Seeing Mercury frown again at her she continued. "Okay, I see what you're getting at. What else have you found out about them?" 

"Well, the clothes themselves don't seem to be magic, but there seems to be some sort of glamour surrounding the cloth, as if someone has reinforced already strong material." She stopped as one of the men in the room let out a groan and both she and Usagi/Dr. Mizuno turned to look at him. His head had slumped to one side and he was moaning so low it was almost a whimper. "We'd better hurry up." said Mercury as she moved over to stand next to the man who was coming round. "Is there anything else in that closet?" 

"What?...Oh yeah, let me check." answered Usagi. She rummaged in a bag in the bottom of the closet and came out with two belts that sported very strange buckles. The buckles were silver and each held a stone in the centre of a very interesting design. 

"What do you make of these, Mercury?" Usagi/Dr. Mizuno asked as she held out the belts for Mercury to see. 

"Hmm...my Visor is getting the same reaction that it has whenever it is trained on one of our transformation wands, Tuxedo Kamen's roses or the Ginzuishou. I don't know about you, but I think we should take these belts with us when we leave so I can study them further." Usagi looked at her questioningly. "We'll only be borrowing them--put them in your pocket. I'm just about done here." She keyed some more information into her computer and snapped it shut. Usagi secreted the belts in her dimensional pocket, and after replacing everything else in the closet she moved beside Mercury to get a closer look at the man who had just stirred. His hair was long and silver and lay loosely around his shoulders. Just as she leaned in to look at him his eyes snapped open, startling her. Her gaze was snared by a pair of silver-grey eyes, unlike any she had ever seen before. 

"Banphrionsa Gealach?... Princess Moon?" he asked weakly. Usagi was shocked. She was not in her princess form or Senshi form, but disguised as Dr. Mizuno. Who was he that he could see through her disguise and know her as Serenity? She looked up at Mercury to see she too was troubled by his question. He turned his eyes to look at Mercury. "Banphrionsa Mearcair?...Princess Mercury?" he whispered hoarsely. It was Mercury's turn to start. He knew them both, but who was he? He seemed to have exhausted himself with his observations and lapsed back into unconsciousness. The pair of puzzled scouts took this as their cue to leave, and Mercury reverted to Ami. 

"Let's go, Okaasan." Ami said to Usagi/Dr. Mizuno as they linked arms in the hospital lobby. They waved at Shimizu-san as they made their way out of the main doors. 

"We'd better contact the others and let them know what happened." Ami said to Usagi as she watched her dismiss the disguise. They were hiding in the bushes on the far side of the parking lot again. Usagi nodded. She felt a chill run down her spine as she recalled the man looking into her eyes and calling her by her title. Mercury shivered too, as she called the others on the communicator.   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


On a rooftop not far from the hospital, a man dressed in red was pacing back and forth. All of a sudden he stopped and cocked his head as if he could hear something on the wind. 

"Quartz Sadar has awakened." He spoke into the shadows, where his two companions were sitting in silence. "I can feel his mind again." 

"What about my brother?" asked the blue-clad man, stepping out of the shadows. "Can you feel his mind, Garnet Sadar?" The man in red shook his head in the negative. 

"He is still unconscious, Lapis. He was the first of us to come through after all, and took the brunt of the shift force--all at his own insistence--You of all people should understand his hero complex as you know his geas." Lapis Sadar smiled crookedly at him. 

"I can't handle just sitting around doing nothing!" exclaimed the third man, who was swathed in green, as he came out of the shadows. "I say we go and take them out of there and back to the place we found earlier today. We can't be running around the streets of this town looking so bloody conspicuous!" 

"Calm down, Agate!" Garnet Sadar reprimanded. "I have just lost the link with Quartz's mind. He is unconscious again. We will be doing them no favours if we remove them from the hospital before they have regained their strength." 

"I say we just lay low for the rest of the night and start getting settled in tomorrow. We have absolutely no idea how long this mission is going to take." added Lapis. 

"Very well," conceded Agate, "but I don't like the idea of leaving them there overnight. We don't know what could happen." The three men then fastened their veils across their faces and proceeded to make their way back to the apartment, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


Usagi and Ami met with the others at their scheduled rendevous, the arcade. 

"We must get back to the temple." Ami said simply. The others knew what this meant and they left, en masse, for Rei's home. 

"We must consult the fire, Rei." Usagi added, as they left for Cherry Hill. "This has been a very strange evening and we have something to show you." Rei shrugged at the others as it was seldom Usagi made sense to her. 

Back at the temple, the scouts settled in to wait on Rei. Her power allowed her to consult with the sacred fire but it didn't make it any easier on those who waited for the results. For close to an hour, those who waited outside the room were tremendously nervous. 

"Hsst, stop it Ami-chan!" whispered Usagi. 

"What? I'm not doing anything. 

"Okay, Mamo-chan, enough already!" shouted Usagi into the silence 

"Enough of what, Usako?" 

"Mako-chan, what are you up to?" 

"I'm not up to anything, Usagi-chan." 

"Okay then, it must be you, Mina!" 

"It must be me doing what, Usagi?" Mina replied, looking up and tossing her blonde hair out of her face. "I'm doing nothing." 

After a moment of reflection, they rounded on her as a group. "It's you, Usagi-chan. Stop fidgeting if you know what's good for you!" 

"Waaaahhhh! You always pick on me!" Usagi gave a wail and it was just like old times. Everyone chuckled, the tension broken for the moment. Rei came from the sacred fire just then, a puzzled look on her face that let everyone know she had more questions than answers. 


	3. A New Sempai for Makoto?

Chapter 3 

A New Sempai for Makoto? 

Kalpernus was standing, head bowed, in the centre of the room. The High-King, Nuada, and his triumvirate council were sitting opposite him in silence, digesting his news. The High-King spoke and Kalpernus snapped his head up. 

"So, Kalpernus, in effect your news is that there is no news." He raised a silver mailed fist from the desk to support his chin and looked expectantly at the druid, eyebrows raised, sapphire eyes gleaming. Kalpernus cleared his throat and answered. 

"Yes, Ard-Ri. I have explained previously that when the females we seek appeared and teleported with the Sadar, I lost the link. I have found the island in question again, but the five markers I require to pinpoint their exact location and open a channel are not all there--only three, those of Agate, Garnet and Lapis are responding. I can find no sign of the other two, and without them I cannot triangulate their exact location.....I don't understand why their sigils are not responding!" Kalpernus fell silent again. 

One of the council leaned forward, a dark-eyed woman with her hair pulled severely back off her face. "How could the other sigils disappear, Druid? You saw them all cross into the world, so none were lost in the void. They have to be there somewhere, right?" 

"That is what is bothering me, Brehon Emer. So much so that I have an idea I would like to present before the council." Both Brehon and Druid looked to the High-King for his agreement. Nuada nodded, and Kalpernus continued. "It is almost Samhain night on both worlds. As you know, when that happens the ancient portals we left that world by open up in what used to be the Celtic Kingdoms. As they open of their own accord we would be expending none of our reserves. I propose sending a Druid and guard through one and having them assume human identities. They could then make their way to this island where the Sadar are and track down the missing sigils, as without the missing two linked together with the ones we can find, we cannot communicate or reopen the imaging pool." King and Council nodded, as the idea had merit. The Druid continued. "Any correspondence considered important could be sent with them, and they could assist in the operation." 

The High-King, Nuada, spoke. "I think Kalpernus should take this course of action. Do you agree?" The three council members looked at one another and then nodded. Nuada addressed Kalpernus. "You have the blessing of King and Council, go make preparations." Kalpernus bowed to those assembled and left the chamber.   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


Rei was pacing back and forth, trying to make enough sense of her reading that she could share what she had learned with her friends. Ami and Usagi had their heads together discussing what had happened at the hospital and the others were making small talk among themselves when Rei finally turned to them, ready to speak. 

"Guys, I'm still confused by everything I saw in the flames, but I'm willing to give a partial interpretation." Everyone fell quiet and looked at her anxiously. She continued. "There are three forces entering into our lives soon. One involving these men we found; another filled with a malevolence I have never encountered before; and the third is much more familiar to us....the Negaverse." They all looked at each other, worry written plainly on their faces. "The fire showed me the five men we found earlier are not evil, so that is one less thing to worry about, but they are tangled up inextricably with the other two elements of the reading. As you know, wherever there is trouble there is the Negaverse, but what scares me is this other evil, as it is unknown to us." Rei sat down, having shared all she was able to with them. Ami spoke next, as everyone was curious as to what had happened at the hospital, and the two girls had been unwilling to talk about it until Rei had finished her reading. 

"These men are strange." she began. "They have a slightly different genetic make up than we do, and possess innate magical abilities. One regained consciousness while we were in the room, and he saw through Usagi's disguise and identified her as Princess Serenity, first in a strange language and then so we could understand what he was saying. He then identified me as Princess Mercury before he lapsed back into unconsciousness." 

"What?" asked Minako. "How could he do that?" 

"Yeah," added Makoto, "how is that possible?" 

"I'm not sure, but it may have something to do with the innate magical qualities my computer picked up from him. We also removed two interesting items from the hospital room." The others raised their eyebrows. Ami stealing? She turned to Usagi. "Can you retrieve them from your dimensional pocket?" 

"Yeah...oh, hold on a minute, I've got quite a few things in here." Luna frowned as Usagi rummaged for a few seconds before producing the items in question. "Here they are!" She laid them on the table where everyone could see them. 

"What are they, Ami?" asked Mamoru, leaning forward and concentrating on the objects. "I have the strangest feeling as I look at them. Like they hold great power." Everyone else leaned in to get a closer look. They looked like belts, but it was the intriguing designs on what seemed to be the buckles that held everyone's attention. One looked like a serpentine dog wound around on itself, a yellow stone for an eye, and the other looked like a stylized starburst with a clear stone in its centre. 

"They seemed to have been worn as belts, but whenever I train my visor on them, I get the same type of readings as when I focus on our transformation pens or the Ginzuishou. I asked Usagi-chan to take them so I could study them in more detail. We'll return them when we're finished." She smiled at them and continued, "Now Rei has confirmed their owners are not evil, I don't feel as scared of the prospect of giving them back." 

"These designs seem familiar, somehow." Rei said quietly. "I'm not sure why, though, but I'm sure it will come to me." 

"Well, I don't seem to remember them from our time in the Moon Kingdom." answered Luna, "So maybe they remind you of something you have seen here before." Rei seemed to start at Luna's comment. 

"Of course....that's it! Something from my history or mythology classes. Hmm, I guess I'll be busy doing some revision over the next few days." 

Ami looked at her watch. "It's getting late, guys. I should be going, as I want to get my homework done." She gathered the two strange belts up and put them in her dimensional pocket. "I'll let you know what I find out about these, but it will probably not be until late tomorrow evening as I have cram school after school again." She gathered up her stuff and went to leave. 

"Hey Ami!" called Makoto as she stood up, "I'll walk with you." 

"Shall we join them Artemis?" asked Mina. 

"Why not? He answered, and jumped into her arms. 

"Hey guys, wait up!" Minako called after her friends. 

"I guess that's our cue to go, Mamo-chan." Usagi put out her hand for him to take. He smiled at her and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Rei." she directed to her friend. 

"Ja ne , Rei!" added Mamoru, as they walked out the door with Luna trailing behind them. 

"Ja!" Rei replied absently, her mind already working overtime to try and remember where she had seen something similar to those designs. 

Mamoru and Usagi walked slowly towards her house, hand in hand. Luna had said goodnight to them some time before. She hadn't wanted to intrude on their time together and had so much to think about after the day's events, that it had scared her in a way, and made her want to be alone. 

"Mamo-chan, what are you thinking about?" Usagi asked him as she noticed his faraway stare and furrowed brow. He came out of his trance and looked down at her. 

"Lots of things, Usako. Like how peaceful the last six months have been, and how turbulent and unpredictable the future now seems." She nodded. 

"I know what you mean. I'd gotten used to the quiet myself. It was nice to have little more to concentrate on than school, you and the rest of the gang." He stopped and pulled her to him tightly, giving a hug of consolation and comfort. 

"Yeah..." He let out a sigh that seemed weighted with all the troubles of the world. "I know we can't escape our destinies, but sometimes it's nice to have a break. We've had more than enough trouble in the past--what with Beryl and her cronies, Ann and Ail, the Dark Moon Kingdom, the Mistress Nine trouble, the Amazon trio, and all the rest--to last a few lifetimes. I can only be thankful that Chibi-Usa and Hotaru are off visiting Crystal Tokyo right now. Pluto must have known something was brewing and invited them both to go with her." Now Usagi thought about it, it made sense. She nodded again, her cheek rubbing softly against his jacket. 

"But what about Haruka and Michiru?" she asked in a soft voice. They're off on a world tour, right now. Should we expect them to drop everything just to come back and help? Playing with all the great orchestras in Europe and North America was a dream come true for Michiru, and I would hate to ruin it for her." 

"No." he answered her emphatically. "We'll deal with it ourselves, just like in the old days." A slow grin spread on his face. "Well, maybe not exactly.....It should be easier now that we're more mature and disciplined." He winked at her. It brought a smile to her lips, and lit up her eyes, which had been moist with unshed tears. She laid her head on his chest and hugged him so tight he thought he would break. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up, leaning in to kiss her long and hard, like it would be their last kiss. She broke away breathless. "Come on," he said softly, "I'll walk you home." 

She put her hand in his again and they walked the last two blocks in silence. At her gate, he kissed her gently and they said goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mamo-chan!" she called, as he reached the end of the block. He turned and waved before disappearing around the corner.   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


Ami's house was first on the way home for the trio of girls. They had been chattering back and forth about the days events and developments as they walked. 

"Do you think we should be trying to find where the guys who disappeared from the hospital are hiding?" asked Makoto. She didn't like the idea of sitting idle and waiting for trouble to find them. She would rather find trouble, and go in fighting. She rubbed the back of one fist absently. 

"That's a good plan, Mako-chan." said Ami. "As Rei seems to have undertaken a research project and I've got some work to do myself, you and Minako can get together with Usagi and try to figure out who they are and where they are." 

"Huh!" said Mina. "Wait a minute. What if we find them and they turn out not to be as friendly as we think?" Artemis's ears perked up at that question. 

"Call us on the communicator. We'll come if it's an emergency." answered Ami. "But we all know we'll get so much more accomplished if we each take a on task." 

"I agree." added Mako. "I'd rather see us have the advantage. The more we know, the better equipped we'll be to handle whatever happens. And besides, there are only three of them to look for. We know the other two are still in the hospital." 

"For now, anyway." added Artemis. 

"I suppose." Mina conceded. "I'm not being selfish here, but I really was enjoying being just plain old me. I suppose I should know by now that the good things in life just don't last." 

"Mina, you're such a pessimist." the other two replied in unison. 

"And we all know you're anything but plain old Mina, Sailor Venus." added Ami with a laugh. 

They reached Ami's house, and Minako and Makoto waited by the gate until Ami was safely inside before heading in the direction of Mina's place. 

"So how will we begin our search tomorrow?" Mina asked, as they walked along. 

"I don't know." replied Mako with a shrug. "Maybe we should head out immediately after school, pick an area, and wander around with our eyes and ears open until we find something that's out of the ordinary." 

"Doesn't sound like much of a plan." said Artemis. 

"It's a start!" Mako answered defensively, glaring at the white cat cradled in the crook of Mina's arm. "If you have a better idea, we'd like to hear it. If not, it just might be that after we've all had a good night's sleep we'll be capable of coming up with something better." 

"At the moment I don't have any suggestions." he said with a sigh. "Maybe we should just set the next meeting for a couple of days from now, and do some brainstorming there when we have some more pieces of the puzzle to play with. In the meantime, Ami will work on those belt things she has, Rei will try to figure out where she's seen those designs, and the rest of you will keep your eyes and ears open." After that they walked in silence until they reached Mina's door, where they said their goodbyes. Mako walked the rest of the way alone, head down and hands stuffed in jacket pockets.   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


The three travellers who had escaped from the hospital were settling uneasily into the large apartment they had found. (It had come fully furnished, which was rare, but it had belonged to a university professor who had accepted a year-long tenure at a college in North America and was in a hurry to join his family who had already arrived there. He had been glad to get someone to take the place, as it was large and expensive by local standards, but the young men he let it to seemed responsible, and had no problems paying the large damage deposit and first month's rent up front). Even though it was much smaller than their quarters back home in Tir na nOg, there would be room enough for all five of them. They had picked out their rooms and stowed what little belongings they had brought with them, and were now sitting in a circle in the living room, trying to plot their course of action. They had removed their long cloaks with hood and veil, and were dressed more appropriately for this time and place. It made them glad that Kalpernus was a stickler for good planning and had been preparing for this mission for years. He'd thought of everything and had accumulated various samples of the things they would need to pass unnoticed in this society. He had sent them over with some clothing and a large supply of the money they would need. They had also been subjected to a language spell so they could understand the tongue of this land and converse in it, and were given the identities of Irish nationals--which wasn't hard as they all had traditional names in Ireland--where the descendants of their people still lived, loved and fought. 

"So, Rory, what's our next step?" asked the man with long coppery red hair flowing loosely over his shoulders. The man with long black hair tied back in a braid answered him. 

"I'm not exactly sure, Kieran. We didn't think we'd be operating short handed when we got here.......But I think I should stay close to Lorcan and Connor until they are well enough to join us. The two of you should probably spend the next few days getting your bearings. The more we know about this place, the better our chances of completing the mission are." 

"I agree." the other man put in. His white-blonde hair was cut short, and had been brushed back into spikes. He stood up, stretched and gave an exaggerated yawn. "I want to get some sleep, so I can get started early in the morning. Good night, I'll see you tomorrow." 

"Good night, Fintan." the others said in unison, as they watched him go into his room and shut the door. 

"I think he's really worried about Connor, and just doesn't want to admit it." commented Kieran to Rory in a low voice. 

"I would have to agree. I'm more worried about Lorcan, though. He doesn't have Connor's constitution, and he's our true-seer. We were counting on him to find those we seek, as he can see through all disguises, but if he's out of commission for a while, we may as well be fumbling around in the dark." The dark haired man looked at his friend with worried golden eyes. 

"Well who knows? Maybe we'll bump into them accidentally, and have bonded before we even know it." Kieran replied, a slow grin lighting up his face. His green eyes danced merrily. 

"In the name of Danu, you are an optimist aren't you?" Rory replied as a smile of his own began to play on his lips and brighten his features. 

"Well, you never know. It could happen." Kieran stood up and went into the kitchen. Rory heard the cupboards being opened and closed, and the sound of his friend cursing softly to himself. 

Kieran came back out of the kitchen scratching his head. "I guess we will be busy tomorrow. There isn't a thing to eat in this place and I'm starving." 

"You're always starving. It's the legacy of the Dagda's blood!" replied Rory with a shake of his head, as he stood up. "I'm going to prepare myself for a Bull Dream, so I won't be needing food for the next little while. Can you see that Fintan doesn't disturb me?" He went to his door and put his hand on the knob, turning to see what Kieran's answer was. 

"Sure, I'll let him know on my way out." The copper haired man grabbed a jacket from the hall closet and shrugged into it. 

"You're not hitting the hay?" Rory asked, eyebrows raised. 

"Not yet. I'm not tired," he ran a hand through his hair, freeing it from the collar of the jacket. "In fact I'm feeling antsy, so a walk will clear my head--and like you said, the more we know, the smoother our mission will go. I'll see you tomorrow night, Rory." He turned and knocked on the door to Fintan's room, putting his head around the door when he heard a muffled response from inside. 

"Rory won't be available until tomorrow evening. He's going to Bull Dream. Do you need anything? I'm going out for a while." 

"No thanks." came the mumbled response from beneath the bedding. "See you in the morning." Kieran shut the door quietly and left the apartment with no idea where he was going.   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


Makoto had been halfway home when her stomach began to rumble. She hadn't had supper, and the thought of beginning to cook a meal so late didn't appeal to her. She began searching in her pockets and came up with enough money to pick up some fast food. She passed a few places before settling on a hamburger and fries, and pushed open the door of the local burger joint. 

The light was glaring and the decor garish, but she didn't mind. All she wanted to do was get something to eat, and sort out her thoughts. She placed her order, collected her tray and sat down in the last empty booth. This place was a popular hangout for junior high students, and was full of kids she recognized from the Minato-Ku district. They were loud and juvenile, their language laced with expletives. She smiled as she caught herself thinking that it wasn't that long ago she had been their age--but had she been that annoying? Yeah, Makoto--like you're so ancient and refined now. 

Kieran had been wandering aimlessly for close to half an hour before his hunger overrode all other thoughts. He dug some money out and headed for the nearest place that smelled of food. He stopped at the door and read the sign, the language spell translating for him. 

"Burger Palace." Hmm, he thought to himself as he looked at the storefront, not much of a palace. He went inside anyway. He was assaulted at once by all the noise and smells, and stood in the doorway for a moment, paralyzed. Someone trying to get past brought him back to himself, and he apologized and stepped out of the way. He stood back and watched what the others in the line up were doing, and after a few minutes he had figured out how it was done, and moved up to the counter. Three minutes later he stood with a laden tray, looking like a lost soul as he searched for a seat. In the corner, there was a young woman sitting on her own, looking out a window as she ate her food. He decided he would rather go and ask if he could sit with her than battle with all the youngsters for a spot. 

Makoto looked up as someone approached her booth and cleared their throat uncomfortably. 

"Is anyone sitting here, Miss?" asked a deep baritone voice. Mako followed the line of the body up to the face and shook her head in the negative. He was the only other person older than fourteen in the whole place and she sympathized with his plight. She gestured across the table at the empty seat, and he slid into the booth opposite her. 

"Thank you." She studied him from under lowered lashes. He had seemed tall, standing up. One of the tallest men she had ever seen. She herself was very tall, and stood eye to eye with many men, but she was sure she might only reach this man's shoulder. He had a clear, pale complexion, bright green eyes and long coppery-red hair that fell freely around his shoulders. His nose was strong and aquiline, his mouth sensual and expressive. She liked what she saw, and smiled as she took an inventory of him compared to the already legendary sempai that every man was measured against. In the leather jacket he was wearing, he looked like a biker, but there was something about him that told her he wasn't really trouble but liked it to appear that way. 

After Kieran had figured out how to eat the burger by watching other people around him, he stole a few furtive glances at his booth partner. She had dark reddish brown hair swept back in a pony tail, and deep green eyes. Yes, she was definitely pretty, but he couldn't tell how tall she was or what kind of a figure she had, sitting slumped across from him. He caught her studying him a few times but said nothing about it as the covert attention was kind of flattering. He decided to strike up a conversation once he had finished his burger. 

"So, do you come here often?" He winced at the banal question. She didn't seem to notice his grimace. 

"No, not really. I don't eat out much, but I was on the go all evening, and didn't feel like cooking when I got home.....This place is kind of a teen hangout too, so I only come in once in a while." She smiled at him, and continued. "I've never seen you around before. Do you live near here?" 

"I just moved here." It was his first chance to use the cover story Kalpernus had invented. "I'm an exchange student from Ireland. I'm staying in an apartment a couple of blocks from here, while I attend the local university." 

"I have a couple of friends who go there." Makoto answered. "By the way, my name is Makoto Kino." She stuck out a hand, knowing it was the traditional western greeting. He reached over the table and grasped it firmly. 

"I'm Kieran Glas. Pleased to meet you." As they smiled warmly at each other a strange sensation overcame them--for an instant it was as if they had shared each other's thoughts--and they let go of each other as if they had been shocked. "Weird." said Kieran. 

"Took the words right out of my mouth." commented Makoto softly, a little disturbed by the incident herself. "I should be getting home, Kieran. It was nice meeting you." She stood up and busied herself with cleaning up her mess. 

"I should be going too." He also stood up and grabbed his tray. After they had dropped off their garbage and made their way outside, they stood facing each other seemingly at a loss for words. 

Kieran finally broke the silence by clearing his throat. 

"Do you mind if I walk with you a little way? I'm still not really sure of my bearings, even though I've been here a little while." Mako nodded absently. She was still trying to make sense of what had occurred inside the restaurant. As they walked, it began to rain. The steady rhythm of the shower sounded in her ears and she finally came out of her reverie. She suddenly felt a little uncomfortable walking with someone she knew so little about and decided to strike up a conversation. 

"So, Kieran, do you have family back where you came from?" 

"Yeah, I do. A mother, stepfather and three younger half-sisters. I never knew my father. My parents married fairly young and split when I was a baby. Apparently he wasn't a local, and went back to where he came from." He flushed as he remembered the teasing some of the other boys his age subjected him to because of his father and decided to change the subject. "So what about you, Makoto? Do you have family?" 

Mako hung her head, water dripping off her hair and onto her face. Even after all this time she found it hard to talk about it. "I have some relatives who check in on me regularly, but apart from that my family is made up of my best friends. My mum and dad died when I was younger." 

"I'm sorry to hear that." he answered, feeling her sorrow as rawly as if it were his own. "I didn't mean to say anything to upset you." Mako didn't know how or why, but she could feel his remorse inside herself. She reached out and laid a hand on his arm. 

"How were you to know? It's okay, you didn't upset me, it's just hard to talk about." They lapsed into silence again, but this time it seemed companionable. Makoto felt strange. It was as if she had known this man all her life and not an hour. Something had happened in the restaurant but she wasn't sure what. Oh great, she thought to herself. Just what I need--a distraction. Right when trouble is about to come knocking on my door. She looked over at him to see he was also lost in thought. She stopped at the corner of her street and he drew up beside her. 

"I go this way." She gestured down the block. He nodded, understanding. 

"I go the other way." He smiled warmly at her. "It was really nice to meet you, Makoto, and I hope to see you around." He put out his hand and she took it, knowing immediately that he really did want to see her again. She felt a small thrill rush through her as their eyes locked. 

"Good night, Kieran. It was really nice meeting you too." They stood for some time unwilling to break away from each other. 

"Good night, Makoto." He let go of her hand, and she turned down her street. He stood in the rain and watched until she disappeared into a building before continuing home.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. The Stone of Destiny

Chapter Four

  


by deDanaan

  


The Stone of Destiny

  


Usagi caught up with Makoto, who was walking slowly through the park. 

"Hey, Mako-chan. You decided to come and check out the park again on your way to school too?" she asked, as she came up beside her. 

"Huh?" Makoto came out of her trance and looked over to see her friend walking beside her. "Oh, hi Usagi. Yeah, I guess did want to have a look around. We didn't really get a chance yesterday." Usagi studied her, noting that she looked tired and was preoccupied with something. I'll have to worm it out of her on the way to school, she thought to herself and began the usual morning ritual of questions and chatter to help relax her friend. Mako appreciated what Usagi was trying to do--she wanted to talk to someone about what had happened to her the night before and had always found it easy to confide in Usagi. 

"It's okay, Usagi-chan. I know what you're trying to do. You want me to talk about it." 

"Talk about what?" Usagi feigned innocence, her interest piqued. 

"What happened last night on my way home." Mako said, a dreamy, distant tone to her voice. 

Now Usagi really wanted to know what was on her friend's mind. 

"So, what did happen?" she asked. 

"Do you believe in love at first sight, Usagi-chan?" Usagi looked at her appraisingly. What happened to Mako-chan last night? she pondered to herself as she answered. 

"Yes, I do. It happened to Endymion and Serenity a thousand years ago. I remember the feeling as clearly as if it had happened yesterday." 

"How does it feel, Usagi-chan?" 

Usagi lost herself in the memory of that moment, a lifetime ago. "It feels so right, you tingle all over. Your senses are so finely tuned to him that he immediately becomes a part of you, and the thought of not being with him is unbearable." She opened her eyes to see Makoto standing next to her with an unreadable look on her face. "What's wrong, Mako-chan?" She asked. 

"I think I'm in love, Usagi." Mako replied quietly, not looking entirely sure she liked the feeling. "After what you've just told me I don't think there's any other explanation for it." 

"Wow, Mako-chan, that's great! Is it anyone I know?" 

Mako shook her head in the negative. "Before last night, I'd never seen him before in my life. He's a university student here on an exchange program from another country. I know his name, but that's about it." 

"So why don't you tell me the whole story? It will help you sort out your feelings if you do." 

Usagi knew from experience that it was better to tell someone what was on your mind than to keep it to yourself. Another prospective was helpful when you weren't sure what do about something that was bothering you. She also loved romance, and the prospect of playing Cupid and helping one of her friends with a romantic problem was exciting--especially Makoto, as no one had yet measured up to her legendary sempai let alone take his place. 

"Well, after I left Minako's place and was on my way home, I decided I would get something to eat at a fast food joint. I had enough money for burgers and fries and settled on a Burger Palace special." Even though it wasn't long since she had eaten breakfast, Usagi's eyes lit up at the thought of food. "The place was packed with all the usual kids and I managed to snag the last empty booth. He came in a while later and asked if he could share the booth." Usagi sighed contentedly, Mako had combined her two favourite subjects, food and romance. Makoto continued, a smile playing at the corner of her lips as she recalled the previous evening. "I felt sorry for him because he was the only other adult in the place, and when he asked I invited him to sit across from me. We ate in silence, sizing each other up and when it became uncomfortable he decided to strike up a conversation. His name is Kieran Glas and he's from Ireland. He's really tall and striking looking, and when we shook hands my whole body tingled as if I had just discharged one of my thunder attacks." Usagi raised an eyebrow. "We left at the same time, and we walked together in the rain until I reached my street and that's where we parted ways, but it somehow seems certain we'll see each other again." 

"Another rainy-day man, eh, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked with a grin. Makoto couldn't help smile back, she felt better having talked to her friend. They had come to the place in the park where they had found the strangers and stopped to take a closer look around, Usagi searching in the area to one side of the scorched ground and Makoto to the other. 

"Mako-chan, look at this!" Usagi called. She was searching some bushes and had come up with a sack of the same type of material the clothing of the men in hospital was made from. 

"What is it?" Mako asked as she made her way to where her friend stood. 

"Looks like some sort of knapsack. I wonder what's in it?" 

"Open it and find out." answered Mako impatiently. 

"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" Usagi asked. Mako shook her head in the negative. 

"Why? There may not be anything of interest in it. If there is then we contact the others and let them know what we've found. There's no sense in calling everyone together just to look at someone's dirty laundry." 

"I suppose you're right." Usagi began to untie the laces that held the plump bag shut. When the laces were loose she opened the bag and held it up so that both she and Mako could look in it at the same time. Their heads came together over the knapsack. 

"Hmm..." commented Makoto. "Looks like there's a bunch of things in here. Let's close it up for now and we can look into it further later. We'll tell Mina to come back to my place with us after school and we'll go through it there." 

"Okay," said Usagi "we should get going anyway so we won't be late for school two days in a row." She closed up the knapsack, put it in her dimensional pocket, and they ran the rest of the way to Juuban High.   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


Kieran woke up feeling rough. He hadn't gotten very much sleep. Every time he had closed his eyes, all he could see was the face of the girl he had met, Makoto Kino. Why was she on his mind so much? He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Yawning, he crawled off the futon and stood up. He wrapped a towel around himself and headed to the bathroom door. He passed Fintan in the corridor. The blonde man was towel drying his hair and looked up as Kieran approached. 

"Hey, Kieran, you look like hell! What were you up to last night?" 

"Oh, not much. I just wasn't able to get a lot of sleep. Must be the beds these people insist on sleeping on." 

"I slept like a baby myself." responded Fintan with a smile. "Probably tied one on as usual and have one hell of a hangover knocking around in your skull." 

"I never had a drop of alcohol. I swear to Danu!" replied Kieran. 

"Hmm...well, we'll talk about it over breakfast. Get ready so we can go get acquainted with the neighbourhood." Kieran nodded and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. When he came out ten minutes later he looked much better, although he still had dark circles under his eyes. Fintan was sitting waiting for him in the living room. He had a pen and paper in hand and was busy writing. He looked up as Kieran came into the room, dressed and refreshed as he would ever be without a few more hours of sleep. "Are you ready to go?" Fintan asked. "I've been making a list of things we need, so let's hope we can get it all here." 

"How much money do you think we should take with us? Are we going to be buying a lot of things?" Kieran asked as he walked into the hallway and grabbed his jacket from the closet. 

"I think if we both fill our bill-folds to capacity that it should be enough. What we need at the moment is food and supplies." He stood up and tucked the list he had made into the back pocket of his jeans. Fintan had been the most attentive to Kalpernus during their training. He was the Sadar with the most knowledge of this country and how it worked. He had assisted Kalpernus with the preparation for this mission, and had taken it upon himself to learn as much as he could about Tokyo and its inhabitants. He grabbed his jacket from the closet, slipped on his runners and opened the door. He held it open until Kieran had passed through and then pulled it shut behind them. 

"I wonder how Rory's bull-dream is coming along?" Kieran asked, making small talk as they made their way to the shopping district. 

"He's probably just ready to trance now. You know how many hours of physical and spiritual purification it takes to prepare for the dream. I hope he finds what he's looking for....Let's stop in here for breakfast." replied Fintan, gesturing to a restaurant. "We'll work better with food in us."   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


Ami was sitting on a bench in the schoolyard lost in her own thoughts. Usagi and Makoto found her staring off into the distance. They stood for a few moments catching their breath. 

"Hey, we're not late if Ami still hasn't gone into class." panted Makoto. 

"Hi, Ami-chan!" Usagi said brightly. Ami came out of her trance and looked up at her friends. "How's it going? You look a little out of it....Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I guess so. I was just going over what happened this morning between my mother and I. She isn't easy to fool, and even with the excuse I gave her she is still very suspicious. She says I seem to be a magnet for trouble and wants to know how I am so familiar with the Senshi." 

"Not good." muttered Makoto, sympathizing. She decided it would be a good thing to change the subject. "We found something in the park this morning, Ami and we're getting together at my place later to have a closer look at it. If things get too hot at home with your mum and you decide to slip out, that's where we'll be." Ami stood up and joined them, and they went into school together. 

After school they waited for Minako outside the main door of the school. Ami had went on to cram school, and Usagi and Makoto made small talk as they waited for their friend. Mina finally joined them and they walked to Makoto's apartment together. Makoto liked it when her friends came over to her place to visit. It was lonely living there by herself, and she hated cooking for just herself, as it sometimes seemed pointless to go to all that effort for only one person. She found herself thinking about Kieran and wondering what it would be like to cook a romantic dinner for him. She blushed and caught Usagi watching her, a smile on her face. She hadn't told anyone else about the man she had met last night, and had made Usagi promise not to say anything to anyone until she knew if it would go any further than one chance meeting. She told them to make themselves comfortable and to help themselves to a beverage while she got supper started. Usagi, who was trying hard to master the skills she would need as a wife and mother, came into the kitchen and sat at the edge of the counter to watch what Makoto was doing. 

"What are you making tonight, Mako-chan?" she asked. 

"Oh, nothing special, Usagi-chan. Just whipping something up from what I have in the fridge. I do this lots--It's an efficient way of using up odds and ends and stretching the budget from my trust fund a little further." Usagi sat quietly. It wasn't often Makoto decided to offer up information as to how she made ends meet without her parents there. The girls knew she had relatives who were fond of her and checked in on her regularly, but they didn't ask many questions for fear of upsetting their friend. Makoto had realized long ago that her friends didn't want to upset her, so she never brought up much of her past either but she continued to speak, as ever since her meeting last night with Kieran she felt very open. "I don't like having to ask my relatives for an advance on the next month's allowance so I am very careful with my finances. It's one of the reasons it took me so long to get a proper school uniform--the story that I didn't fit into any available sizes in the school store is true, but my previous school uniform was less than a year old and I really couldn't justify spending so much money again so soon." 

"I never knew that." replied Usagi. She was sitting with her elbow on the counter top and chin propped on fist. "Do you need any help, Mako-chan?" 

"Actually, I do." her friend replied with a grin. "Would you be so good as to peel and chop these?" Makoto held out a small bag of onions. Usagi's eyes widened, tears forming in advance of the task as she reached out and took them. 

"Uh...sure."she turned to look at Mina, who was scanning the bookshelves in Makoto's living room, glass in hand. "Mina-chan, why don't you come in here and give us a hand." Makoto laughed as Minako came to join them--Usagi just couldn't help in the kitchen without reinforcements. 

After dinner was over and the kitchen cleaned up, the trio of young women were lying back contentedly in their chairs. Mako spoke up, "So, Usagi-chan, fish out that knapsack and let's have a look at what's in there." 

"Okay." Usagi answered. After a few seconds she had retrieved the bag and laid it on the coffee table in the middle of the room. All three girls sat forward, looking at the knapsack for a few seconds before Usagi made a move to open it. 

"Take everything out and lay it on the table where we can see it." instructed Minako. They were silent as Usagi put the contents of the bag onto the table-top. When the bag was emptied completely and laid to one side, they all sat forward to examine the objects more closely. Mako reached out and picked up something that was wrapped in a silk cloth. She held it in the palm of one hand while she unwrapped it with the other. Inside was nestled a strange slab of translucent stone. 

"Wow!" they all murmured together. The stone pulsed with a bright light just then and the girls were momentarily blinded by the flash. When they could see again, they looked around the room at each other, disbelief written plainly on their faces. 

"Look at us!" exclaimed Mina. "We're in the court dress of our respective planets." Each girl looked around her. They were wearing the flowing robes of the Silver Millennium Kingdoms. 

"Our symbols are plainly visible." added Mako, reaching up to touch her glowing forehead. "What the hell just happened?" 

"I don't know," replied Usagi, "but this stuff belongs to those guys, and one in the hospital identified me and Ami as Princess Moon and Princess Mercury." 

"This is really weird. I've been trying to make myself revert to normal form, but it's not working." Mina looked horrified as she informed her friends of her discovery. Mako had a hunch and covered up the stone that still had a soft light emanating from it. Once its light was hidden she looked up at the others. 

"Try now." she instructed as she put the re-wrapped slab back on the table. Mina closed her eyes and concentrated, and in a second she had reverted to her usual self. A moment later Usagi and Makoto followed suit. They looked at the other items on the table, unsure whether or not they wanted to find out what it was. Finally Mina picked up another cloth bundle and began to open it. Inside she found an assortment of dried herbs and powders tied up in little individual pouches. 

"Looks like he carries his spice rack with him at all times." Makoto joked. Mina set the bundle back down on the table. Usagi lifted an item off the table and examined it. It was a scroll case. She unscrewed one end and shook out its contents. The sheaves of paper inside were full of unfamiliar symbols and lettering. 

"Pity we don't have a way to translate this." Usagi commented, shuffling through the pages, looking at what was written on each. "Do you think Ami could read it with her Visor?" The other girls shrugged, they had no idea. "I'm going to call her and see if she can come over." She pulled out her communicator and pressed the key that signalled Sailor Mercury. A few seconds later Ami responded, her face appearing on the tiny screen. 

"Konbanwa, Usagi-chan. Is something wrong?" 

"Hi, Ami. Nothing's really wrong. We've found some neat stuff in that knapsack we told you about this morning and were wondering if you needed a break from your homework. We'd like your opinion on some of it." 

"I'll be right over. My mother is working overtime tonight so I'm here on my own." 

"Did you find anything out about those belt things?" Makoto asked her over Usagi's shoulder. 

"Yes, I found out a number of interesting things. I'll fill you all in when I get over there. Should I stop by the temple and pick up Rei on my way over?" 

"Yes. Hopefully she's also made some progress in her research. We'll see you in a little while, then." Usagi said before turning the communicator off and putting it away.   


` * * * * * * * * * * * *   


Fintan and Kieran made their way to the supermarket after breakfast. Kieran felt much better having eaten. They had taken a cart and were standing in an aisle looking at the vast array of goods on the shelves. Things weren't like this back in Tir na n'Og. "Wow," commented Kieran, "have you ever seen so many little round metal containers in your life before?" 

"Yes," answered Fintan, "I accompanied Kalpernus on expeditions to Ireland a few times. I wanted to familiarize myself with the workings of this world. This place is along the same lines as our marketplaces, but everything is fresh where we're from and nothing comes in a can." He put his hand into his back pocket and pulled out the list he had made while waiting for Kieran that morning. "Let's see what we've got here." He unfolded the paper, scanned down it and began to walk along the aisle picking various things off the shelf and placing them in the cart. "Kieran, look at this list and try to help me find some of the items on it. If we both help get what we need, we'll be done faster and can get home. I'd like to get this over with and go check on Connor and Lorcan at the hospital." "Sounds like a plan. I'd like to join you, but how are you going to get past everyone to see them?" 

"Magic, of course." answered Fintan, tapping the side of his forehead. "Lapis Sadar will be checking things out. I'm going to cast a glamour on myself so that when people look at me they see something they expect to see and nothing out of the ordinary. I can expand it to include you, but you'll have to stick close." 

"Alright. Let's get to it then so we can go visit our friends." The two men moved quickly and were finished getting their supplies in no time at all. They walked back to the apartment, arms laden with groceries, and after putting everything away they grabbed their cloaks and belts and headed to the rooftops.   


* * * * * * * * * * * *   


The doorbell rang. Makoto stood up and went to answer it. Minako and Usagi grinned lazily at each other from their seats, they knew who was there. 

"Konbanwa Ami, Konbanwa Rei." Mako said as she answered the door and found her friends standing there. "Come in." She gestured broadly behind her and the girls on the doorstep crossed the threshold and entered her home. 

"So what did you find that was so important?" asked Ami, unable to wait until she was seated before asking the question that was preying on both her and Rei's minds. 

"Come in and sit down first." replied Makoto. "We'll show you when you're settled in." she led them into the room where Usagi and Minako waited and they sat down. 

"Hi, guys!" greeted Usagi and Minako in unison. 

"Hi!" replied Ami and Rei as they made themselves comfortable. 

"Are you ready for this?" asked Usagi. 

"How can we be ready when we don't know what we're in store for?" replied Rei testily. "I never thought I would miss those Odango of yours, but it's hard to insult you when you're not wearing your hair that way." 

"I guess you're going to have to think of some other name for me, then." Usagi answered with a grin. "Okay, Mako-chan, do your stuff." Makoto leaned forward and picked up the silk wrapped stone from the table, a smile of anticipation playing at her lips. She, Usagi and Mina knew what to expect, but the looks on the other two girls faces would be priceless. She snickered as she began to unwrap the stone for a second time that evening. 

Ami and Rei sat forward to get a better look, while Usagi and Mina covered their mouths to stifle their laughter. "What is it, Mako-chan?" asked Ami as the slab of stone began to pulsate with light. As Mako, Usagi and Mina knew what to expect they closed their eyes just as the stone flashed brightly, blinding Ami and Rei momentarily. When the two girls could see again, they gasped in shock. 

"What's going on here?" Rei demanded as she looked around the room at everyone. "How did this happen?" She touched her long flowing robes, rubbing the material between two fingers, as if unwilling to believe her eyes alone. She looked over at Ami, who was sitting across from her, a puzzled frown creasing her forehead. 

"That stone has interesting properties, don't you think, Ami-chan?" Usagi asked her friend. "It revealed our true selves as easily as that man in the hospital identified us." Ami nodded as Usagi continued. "Try to revert back to your everyday form." she instructed them. 

"I can't!" Rei almost shouted with frustration. "Why can't I?" 

"It seems that as long as the stone is exposed, we can't assume anything other than our true identities." answered Mina. "If Mako covers it up, we'll be able to revert to our usual selves." Makoto took that as a cue and wrapped the stone so the light emanating from it was hidden once more. Within seconds all five girls had reverted to their everyday forms. Rei sat in thought, a frown heavy on her brow. 

"Ami told me you had found a knapsack in the park this morning. Was that thing inside it?" Rei gestured to the wrapped stone sitting in Makoto's lap. Usagi nodded. 

"There were a few things other than clothes in there as well." Usagi handed the pouch of herbs over to Rei. "There was this....and there was this." She picked up the scroll case and handed it to Ami. Rei opened the pouch and spread the tiny packages in her lap, picking them up one by one and examining them closely. Ami opened one stoppered end of the scroll case and shook the pieces of vellum inside into her hand, studying the different sheets intently. 

"These herbs seem to be part of a healers inventory." mused Rei. "It seems to be an equivalent to a doctors bag." She looked over at the sheets Ami was holding in her hand and gasped. "My hunch was right. Some of the markings on those pages Ami has look like an ancient writing system called Ogam." 

"Ogam?" the others questioned together. 

"When you left last night, I pulled out all my text books and found what I was looking for when I reached the chapters detailing Ancient Celtic civilization. The buckles of those belt things Ami is studying are in the style of Celtic knotwork and zoomorphism. The ancient Celts also had a writing system based on a druidic alphabet. The markings on those sheets looks incredibly like it." 

"Druidic?" asked Usagi. 

"Zoomorphism?" asked Minako. 

"The druids were part of the ruling class of the Ancient Celtic kingdoms. They were like magicians and sages rolled into one. Their name is actually derived from the ancient Gaeilge word for magic. The Celtic people were divided into different groups, with slaves being the the lowest class of citizens. Freemen and landowners came next and warriors were above them. There were three classes of druids: Brehon, or lawgivers; Bards, the keepers of history and lore; and the priestly class were known as Druids and were masters of divination and magic and the valued advisors of kings and queens." Rei paused and glared at Usagi who had become glassy-eyed from all the information. "Usagi, will you pay attention!?!" 

"Oh, sorry, Rei-chan. It just seems like a history lesson, and that class always manages to put me to sleep no matter how hard I try to concentrate." She sat up straight, stretched, and stifled a yawn. Rei took this as a cue to continue. 

"The druidic alphabet was called Ogam, and I've seen photographs of old monoliths in Ireland, Britain and northern Europe which are covered in it. Some of the markings on these pages look just like it. Coupled with the knotwork and zoomorphic forms that shape the buckles of those belts you removed from the hospital yesterday, I would say we are dealing with Celts." 

"But isn't Celtic civilization as it was known extinct, Rei?" asked Ami. 

"Yes. The Irish, Scottish, Welsh and people of Brittany still have a great deal of Celtic blood in them, but with the coming of Christianity to their ancestors, a lot of the culture was lost. They still have the music, mythology and art, but the language was all but stamped out by invaders and is only making a comeback now. They haven't been Celtic in the full sense of the word for many centuries, which is why our findings over the last two days puzzles me." Everyone sat quietly for a while, digesting what Rei had told them, and after a while Ami decided to share her findings with them. 

"After studying the belts and analyzing the readings from my Visor, I have come to the conclusion that the buckles harness and channel great power. This is why they seem like our wands, Tuxedo Kamen's roses, or Usagi's Ginzuishou. Our items allow us to access and amplify our power, and I have a suspicion that these belts allow their wearers to do something similar. They also seem to be used for communication, and may work as tracking devices. Our friends are talented and versatile, whoever they are." 

"Do you think your Visor would be able to find out anything about these sheets?" Usagi asked, reaching over and picking them out of Ami's lap. Ami shook her head. 

"I don't think so, Usagi-chan. I don't think these are the same as the belts. Even without being Mercury I have a hunch that only those who can read the language will be able to understand what is written on the vellum." 

"Hmm..." answered Usagi. "I guess we're out of luck then." She looked at her watch and discovered it was almost 9:30 P.M. "I should be going." She informed the others. "I still have to do my homework. Anyone going my way?" Everyone made similar excuses and said good night to Makoto, who was looking the worse for wear after getting hardly any sleep the previous night. She managed to smile wearily at her friends as she saw them to the door. After they had left, she was barely able to crawl into bed before she passed out. 


	5. The Children of Danu

Chapter 5

By deDanaan

The Children of Danu

Rory was just entering the dream state. He had prepared for the ritual in exactly the same way as he would have back in Tir na nOg. Everything but one thing--the meal he ate was of dried meat, not fresh meat cooked in its own broth. The meat had come from the same bull that supplied the hide, as was required, but he had eaten it as jerky. The magic of the Tarb Feis involved ingesting the broth after fasting for a specified time and then lying down on the hide to dream. Druids who specialized in the arts of divination performed the Tarb Feis when answers were needed of a less obscure nature than those received from the reading of entrails. Rory felt relief flood through him as he realized its power hadn't been diminished by the substitution. 

He found himself standing on a hill looking down at events unfolding before him. A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see a large raven circling above him. He wasn't worried, his family was descended from the Morrigu--the great Battle Raven herself. Ravens were his guardians and familiars. He watched as the large raven was joined by another smaller, sleeker raven that seemed to have a nimbus of fire burning around it. "Hmm..." he said to himself, "that's interesting." 

He looked to the west. Something dark and foreboding filled the skies in that direction, and it was slowly spreading outwards. "That has to be the Fomori, they traditionally come from the west." he commented to no one in particular. The Fomori had been the enemies of his people since time began, it sometimes seemed. He often wondered how they could thrive as a race, so destructive a people were they. He looked to the eastern sky and swore at what greeted him. A blight as threatening as the one filling the western sky was growing there. "What in the name of Danu is that?!?" he asked, shrugging in response to the question he had put to himself. Looking to the north he saw a large bull, hound, raven, and horse safe in the light of Lugh. There was no question who that represented. He looked upon himself and his counterparts from Tir na nOg. They were standing defensively against the west. He turned and looked to the south. There he saw four spirits bathed in the serene light of the moon and other planets. They were facing the darkness growing in the east. Suddenly the small flame-haloed raven called out shrilly from above his head and streaked away from him to the south. Once there the raven changed to become one of the spirits, but the aura of fire still surrounded it. The other spirits had strange auras too. The green spirit had lightning crackling around it, the blue spirit was surrounded by a foggy mist. The golden spirit gave off a soft amber light, and the silver spirit sparkled with an opalescence--linked by silver threads to each of the other spirits. "These are the ones we seek and the silver spirit seems to possess interesting powers, but to me the dual nature of that fire spirit is the most intriguing revelation of this dream." Rory stood and watched the rest of his vision play out. He saw the spirits of the south travel north to meet the animals and light that represented the Sadar. They joined forces and battled to keep the evil pouring from east and west from overwhelming them. As he watched, his heart would rise and fall with the fortunes of the defenders below him. 

Rory woke suddenly from the dream. The Tarb Feis was like that--it would give you a glimpse of the future, but it never showed the outcome. The help it gave answered many questions, but tended to pose many more. He would be reflecting on the dream's symbolism for many hours. 

He stretched slowly and sat up, rubbing his eyes carefully. He stood up, ran his fingers through his hair and stifled a yawn. The Tarb Feis was not like normal sleep. It drained you with it's intensity. He wondered what time it was, as the dream had left him disoriented. He shrugged into a pair of black pants and opened his room door. He walked across the apartment to the patio doors that led to the balcony and looked out on the city. It was twilight and Tokyo was bathed in soft violet splendour. He sighed as he pressed his forehead to the glass, remembering Tir na nOg and how beautiful and mysterious twilight had made it. He wondered what the others were up to out there and stared off in the direction of the hospital. He could feel their minds in his own. That was another of his gifts--he had an empathic link with all the other Sadar, and could feel what they were feeling if he concentrated hard enough. He was still unable to feel the minds of Lorcan and Connor, although they had both been conscious for a few moments earlier in the day. "I hope you two recover fast." he said softly to himself. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Fintan and Kieran stood on the roof of the hospital, not far from the Medi-Vac heli-pad. They had spent the last few hours getting to know the streets of Tokyo intimately. It was mid-afternoon when they finally got around to checking in on Lorcan and Connor. 

"Okay, let's do this." Fintan said to Kieran. 

"What exactly do we have to do?" asked Kieran. 

"You don't have to do anything except stick close to me once I cast the glamour." he shook his head and smiled. "See what happens when you're raised by bards?" 

"Don't start about my mother." Kieran replied with a grin "She just happens to be the best bard since before the crossing, and made sure all her children were adept with more than one form of magic...I just don't have the same kind of training you do. You're a master of illusion and weather--I'm adept at combat magic, not to mention being one hell of a musician." The grin on his face widened even more. 

"You also have a knack for illusion, Kieran," came Fintan's rebuttal, "how else do you account for that ability of yours to produce multiples of yourself?" 

Kieran smiled and shrugged. "It's not exactly the same thing. It's a bit more than illusion, you know, I'm sending out a piece of my soul to fight with each and every one of my doubles." Fintan nodded, then his eyes became unfocused and he began an incantation. In a matter of seconds the air around him seemed to bend and shimmer like heat radiating off tarmac on a summer's day. "How come I can still see you?" Kieran asked his friend when he opened his eyes once more. 

"You know I'm here and you saw me work the magic." Fintan answered with a smile. "Now shall we get down to business?" he inquired of the other Sadar as he moved to open the door down into the hospital. 

They made their way through the bowels of the huge building without incident. Everyone they saw nodded politely or greeted them as they passed, positive they had just encountered someone they knew. The two Sadar spoke softy back and forth to each other as they retraced their steps from the previous day. 

They stopped outside the room where they had left their two injured compatriots, and Fintan looked through the glass to ensure the men were alone. He motioned to Kieran to follow and opened the door. Inside Kieran stopped and looked around the room, still paranoid about being spotted by someone. "Relax!" Fintan told him. "As long as you're close to me you won't be seen as you are." 

He moved over to stand in between the beds, looking carefully at each of the Sadar occupying them. 

"They seem okay," he told Kieran. Lorcan moaned in his sleep just then and they both turned to study him. "I think he's coming round." They watched as his eyes flickered open. 

"Agate, Lapis....." whispered Lorcan weakly as he saw his friends. "I have seen them." 

"Huh?" they responded in unison. 

"Who have you seen?" prompted Fintan, hoping that Quartz Sadar wouldn't pass out before he was able to answer. 

"Moon and Mercury's Guardians. They were here in this very room with me." came the soft reply. 

"They were? When?" asked Kieran. 

"Last night...I woke to find them both standing over me." 

"Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?" queried Fintan. 

"Positive. They seemed shocked when I called them by their titles." He seemed to be getting stronger as he spoke--maybe he was finally recovering from the shift force damage he received as they travelled between the two planes. 

"How are you feeling?" Kieran inquired. Lorcan began to laugh but it fizzled into a wheeze. 

"Like I just spent twenty-four straight hours sparring with both you and Connor." he answered with a grimace. "My hair even hurts, if such a thing is possible." 

"Well then, I'm glad you came through the vortex before me." Kieran joked. 

"There's something different about you, Kieran." Lorcan told Agate Sadar. 

"And you're just noticing now?" Kieran answered flippantly. 

"No. I'm serious. What have you been up to in the last couple of days." Lorcan studied his friend's face carefully. 

"Why?" Kieran asked, a puzzled frown creasing his brow. 

"Your aura has changed. It has expanded....You've bonded." Both Kieran and Fintan looked at Quartz Sadar in surprise. "Why didn't you say you'd found her?" Lorcan struggled to sit up in the bed. 

"Found her? I don't know what you're talking about. We've had no luck so far in finding any of them." 

"You must have. How else could you have bonded? There has only ever been one person you can bond with, it's a predestined fact. I see the truth, Kieran, and it tells me you have bonded with Jupiter's Guardian." 

Kieran stood stunned. "But....but...." he stammered, confused. Then understanding suddenly lit in his eyes. "By Mother Danu!" he swore, "It couldn't be." 

"What couldn't be?" asked Fintan. 

"The girl I met last night. She couldn't be the one, could she?" He shook his head, still half disbelieving what Lorcan had told him. "Well that would explain a lot then." 

"What would explain a lot?" Fintan demanded irritably. He had moved to the other bedside and was looking down solicitously on his unconscious brother. 

"When I went out to wander by myself last night, I got hungry and made my way to a restaurant. There I shared a booth with a very pretty young woman. When we introduced ourselves to each other we shook hands, and something happened." 

Both Lorcan and Fintan looked expectantly at him. "Yes?" Lorcan prompted. 

"It was weird." Kieran continued. "It felt like I was tingling all over, and then it seemed like I knew what she was thinking. We walked together in the rain, and she left me at the end of her street." Fintan and Lorcan exchanged disbelieving looks and shook their heads. "Probably also explains why I haven't been able to get her out of my mind since." 

"How do you do it? You could fall in shite and come up smelling of roses." Fintan commented, admiration colouring his voice. Kieran just shrugged. 

"I guess that's why Agate's my stone. I'm full of surprises." he replied. 

"Luck and Surprises." Fintan amended. 

"Well at least you know where she lives. That'll make her easier to find." Lorcan told him. 

"I sort of know where she lives. I didn't walk her to her door, but I think I could find the building where her apartment is easily enough." 

"Good. That's your first priority tomorrow." Lorcan answered and the matter was settled. Kieran was still dazed from everything that had just been revealed and stood there lost in thought while Fintan and Lorcan shifted their attention to Topaz Sadar. 

Fintan leaned in close to Topaz Sadar and called his name. "Connor, can you hear me?" There was no response, so Lapis Sadar grabbed his brother's shoulder and started to shake him gently. "Can you not wake?" he asked with a sigh. "Shit! I thought you were made of more than this. Aren't you the one who can call on the Warp Spasm?" He began to goad Connor, thinking to himself that these kind of comments would have been very bad for his health had his brother been awake. His efforts met with silence and he was disappointed. 

"I'll watch him for you, Fintan." Lorcan told him. "Maybe he'll wake tomorrow and we can both leave this place." 

"Okay." Lapis Sadar answered. "We should be getting back soon anyway. I don't think I can keep this glamour up for much longer. We should check in with Rory anyway, he was doing the Tarb Feis." 

"He was?" Lorcan looked at Fintan with raised brows. 

"He was. He felt it was prudent given the situation. You were out of commission, and we had no idea how badly hurt you really were." 

"Well I guess you'd better be off then." Lorcan told them. He leaned back against the pillow and what little colour he had drained from his face. "I'm feeling exhausted all of a sudden." 

"Slan leat, Lorcan." said Kieran. 

"Slainte." added Fintan. "I guess we'll see you tomorrow." 

"Lorcan nodded, his eyes suddenly heavy with sleep. "Tomorrow." he answered, slipping back into unconsciousness. 

The two Sadar made their way back to the roof without any trouble and once they were there Fintan dispelled the glamour and rounded on Kieran. "I still can't believe it!" he exclaimed. "We're here barely two days, without our true seer and yet you still manage to hook up with Princess Jupiter in a city of millions." He began to laugh. Kieran looked back at him sheepishly and shrugged. 

"Let's get back and see if Rory's finished the dream yet." Kieran suggested. 

Fintan nodded. "Yeah, let's get back. I'm sure he'll be interested in what we have to tell him." They put up the hoods of their cloaks, fastened the veils across their faces and began to jump quickly from rooftop to rooftop 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Kalpernus was sitting in his workroom going over a stack of scrolls. Someone knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a reply. Without turning, he said to his guest. "Come in, daughter. How are you?" There was no one else who took this kind of liberty with him. His voice was gentle, though, as he had no other tone when talking to his only child. A young woman with long flame coloured hair stepped into the room, a lopsided grin on her face as she regarded her father. 

"Bandia duit, Athair." she greeted in return. "I'm very well, thank you." She made her way over to where he was sitting and kissed the shaven crown of his head. 

"Hmmm.....I'm always suspicious when you visit me here, and I get even more suspicious when you kiss me. You want something, don't you, Niamh?" he turned to look at her and his eyes were dancing with humour. 

"You're in good spirits. I'd heard you were wallowing in despair because of what happened to Kieran and the others." her tone was serious but she was smiling softly. 

"Well, it seems news travels fast around here." he replied. 

"Indeed." 

"Sit!" Kalpernus gestured to an empty chair. Niamh swept her long skirts aside carefully and sat down. She regarded her father with a guileless stare and he was overcome by the uncanny resemblance she bore to her mother. He broke eye contact and cleared his throat. 

"It's Samhain tomorrow. Have you chosen someone to go through the stones yet?" 

"No. I have to meet with your mother and Emer from the council first. I'm the representative of the Druids, your mother represents the Bards and Filidh, and Emer represents the Brehon judges. I must have their consent, it is not my choice alone." 

"Who are you considering putting forward as a candidate?" she inquired. 

"I have a few possibilities in mind." he answered evasively. 

"I suppose I'm not one of them." she said flatly. His eyes widened. She was right, he hadn't considered her at all. 

"Um, well....I was considering someone with more experience. Someone like Cahal or Malachy, or even Deirdre." he stammered. 

"You just won't accept the fact that I'm an adult. Will you?" she snapped angrily in response. "I'm just as qualified as they are, if not more." 

"You only attained the age of majority recently. You are very inexperienced." he answered in what he hoped were reasonable tones. "This is a very important operation. I must have complete confidence in the person I nominate." Niamh hung her head. 

"Thanks for the vote." she muttered, her cheeks flushing hotly. He realized his mistake then, as he watched the tears form at the corners of her beautiful green eyes. "I'll never be an adult where you're concerned, will I? No matter how many awards I garner from the colleges, will it ever be enough?" she asked, her voice breaking as she spoke. 

"It's not like that, Niamh. I just don't want anything happening to you." 

"So I am to be forever babied, Danu help me!" she snapped bitterly. "You aren't so slow to condemn my brother to the unknown!" 

"Kieran is predestined for this. Without him there would be no hope at all." he answered. She looked appraisingly at her father as he continued. "I know you are qualified, Niamh, but it is hard for me to put your name forward as you are my only child.......I would like to see my grandchildren." His face coloured with the admission and she softened. 

"Father, don't embarrass me!" she admonished. "You'll see your grandchildren, just trust in me and give me a chance." His shoulders slumped in defeat, she had always been able to wrap him around her little finger. 

"Alright. If they ask me for a list of candidates, your name will be on it." he conceded. She jumped up suddenly and hugged him enthusiastically. 

"Thank you, Father. You won't regret it." she planted another kiss on his forehead and left the room with a wave. Kalpernus' shoulders slumped. 

"What did I just agree to?" he asked himself as he rested his forehead in the heel of his palm, not wanting to know the answer. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Rory was sitting cross-legged in the living room looking out of the patio doors on the darkening Tokyo evening and thinking about what had been revealed to him during the Tarb Feis. He turned to look as he heard a key in the door. Fintan and Kieran entered, chatting back and forth to each other as they hung up their cloaks and shrugged off their boots. Rory sat in silence, waiting for them to finish. 

"Hey, Rory, how's it going?" Kieran called in greeting when he noticed him sitting there. Rory smiled in response. 

"It's going fine." he replied. "And how's it been going for you two?" Fintan stepped forward at that question, a sly grin pasted to his face. 

"It seems that there have been some developments." he answered. Rory's eyes widened and he gestured for them to join him on the carpet by the patio doors. 

"So, what are these developments?" he asked them. His friends looked at each other with raised brows--where to begin? Fintan decided to delay the inevitable by asking Rory how the Tarb Feis turned out. 

"What did you find out?" he asked the diviner in response. "Anything of interest?" 

"Well it was certainly informative." came the reply. "I've been trying to make sense of it since I woke." 

"And?" his friends inquired in unison. 

"I'm not sure yet. There are still a few things that puzzle me." 

"Like what?" Fintan asked as he sat down beside him. 

"Like these women we must find, their natures are very interesting. There is also another evil growing that is not of Fomori origin." 

"Who or what are they?" Kieran asked as he kneeled next to Rory. 

"I've no idea--but they do." 

"Who?" 

"The warrior women we seek. I think this other evil is their traditional enemy--an enemy that formed an alliance with the Fomori." 

"You're kidding, right?" Kieran frowned darkly at him. 

"No, I'm afraid not." Rory said apologetically with a shrug of his shoulders. Fintan decided that now would be a good time to change the subject and talk about what they knew. 

"Lorcan has seen both Moon and Mercury's guardians." he told the black haired man. Rory's eyebrows shot up. He was genuinely surprised. 

"How did he manage that?" he inquired. "Isn't he still in hospital? I haven't felt his mind since earlier today." 

"Yes. When we went to check on them earlier today, he woke and told us of what had happened. It seems that when he came to last night they were standing over him." 

"So they know we are here and where some of us are." commented Rory. "That's interesting." 

"And Kieran has bonded." Fintan added bluntly. Garnet Sadar was stunned and it showed plainly on his face. 

"How in the name of Danu did you manage that?" he asked Agate Sadar in awe. Kieran just shrugged in his usual nonchalant manner. 

"I'm still trying to figure that one out myself." he replied. 

"Will someone please indulge me?" Rory requested of them. Fintan sighed and began to tell Kieran's story to the astonished Sadar, who looked dazed by the time it was finished. "You have the Fomori's own luck, don't you!" he directed at Kieran. Agate Sadar just smiled in return and Rory continued, "I guess we all know what you'll be doing tomorrow." 

Kieran made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge, gazing on its contents. "Is everyone hungry?" he called to his friends. 

"Yes!" Fintan answered, coming to stand beside him and stare at what there was to eat. 

"I'm more tired than hungry." commented Rory. "I just want to get some real sleep, as I haven't had any since before we crossed over." He stood up and stretched, then padded softly to his room door. As he turned the handle of the door he looked back over his shoulder and spoke to the two Sadar standing in the kitchen. "I'll see you two tomorrow. We've got quite a few things to take care of." They nodded in agreement and bid him goodnight. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Emer and Aislin were already seated in their places at the table when Kalpernus arrived. The guards at the door saluted as he passed by them and entered the room. He nodded to both women as he took his seat. "Aislin. Emer." he greeted. 

"Kalpernus." they replied. 

"Shall we get down to business?" he asked them. They both nodded and he continued. "The reason we are here is to nominate and elect a candidate to go through the stones tomorrow night when the gates between worlds open. I have narrowed my list of recommendations and I trust the both of you have done the same." 

"Yes. I have only two names on my list." began Aislin. "If you wish, I'll start off the proceedings by declaring my choices." They gave their assent and she sat forward, steepling her hands in front of her. "We all know why we are here. We are sending agents through the stones to find and assist the Sadar, as we have lost contact with them and have to reinstate the link. After much thought on the matter I wish to nominate Malachy and Niamh." The others digested her choices silently. Emer spoke next. 

"I too have two people on my list. I wish to put Deirdre and Malachy forward for consideration." she told them. "And you?" she turned and looked over at Kalpernus. 

"I likewise recommend two. I nominate Cahal and Niamh." he answered. 

"We seem to have a tie between Malachy and Niamh. How do we deal with this?" Emer asked them. Aislin sat forward 

"Would you think I was out of line if I suggested we don't make a choice, but send them both." Aislin queried. "Malachy is a competent battle mage as well as a warrior, and Niamh is talented, but needs she needs guidance and experience. She could learn quite a bit from him." After a minute or so of reflection, Kalpernus nodded in agreement to the proposal. 

"Hmmm!" commented Emer, looking at the other two suspiciously. "Do we have a conspiracy here?" she inquired, her eyes sliding carefully over the pair of them. Aislin and Kalpernus looked at her and then each other in surprise, so she clarified for them. "You two never usually agree on anything except the fact that you disagree." 

"I decided to recommend my eldest daughter as soon as I was informed." Aislin told her. "I'm surprised that Kalpernus agreed, if you must know." She turned to look at the man who had once been her husband under Brehon contract. "She came to see you, didn't she? Otherwise you wouldn't have even considered her." she said to him. 

"How did you know?....No, wait, forget I asked that. It's pretty much her standard method of operation." He laced his fingers together behind his head and looked up at the vaulted ceiling and around at the walls. Anything was better than meeting Aislin's gaze. 

"Yes, Niamh's predictable in these cases." she acknowledged before turning to face the Brehon Judge. "So what do you think of my proposal, Emer? Is it agreeable?" 

Emer gazed levelly at her. "It is agreeable because she is not going on her own. You are right when you say she is inexperienced, but Malachy will temper her impetuousness with his wisdom, and she, in turn, will bring him insight." She smiled then, "You have my support in this choice." 

Kalpernus stood up and addressed the heads of the other two druidic societies. "I'm going to tell the Ard-Ri of our decision. Will you join me in relaying the news?" Both women apologized for having prior engagements and dismissed themselves from the chamber. Kalpernus stood lost in thought for a few minutes before remembering he was on his way to see the High King.   
  
  
  



	6. Discovery

Chapter 6

Discovery

by deDanaan

  
  
Rory had awakened with the dawn. He knew he had to react to his dream from the previous day, but he didn't know how. He showered, dressed and went to stand on the balcony and watch the sun rise. He came back inside to find Kieran shrugging into his coat and boots by the door. 

"Going somewhere?" he asked the copper-haired man. 

"On a stake-out." Keiran replied with a grin. Rory nodded. "There's a certain girl I've got to talk to. If I'm waiting there early enough, I shouldn't miss her." 

"Let's hope so. Good Luck." 

"Thanks." Kieran answered as he went out the door, pulling it shut behind himself. 

"Maybe what I need is a walk." Rory told himself. "It'd clear my head, and maybe help me sort out what I saw in the Tarb Feis." He went and knocked at Fintan's door. "I'm going out, Fintan, and Kieran's already gone." 

"Okay." came the muffled reply. "See ya later!" Rory shook his head and smiled, Fintan wasn't usually this bad at getting going in the morning. He stopped into the kitchen to grab an apple and polished it absently on his shirt as he fished his own jacket out of the closet. Hunkering down, he set the jacket on the floor and bit into the apple, holding it there in his teeth to free his hands up to tie his laces. When that was done he picked up the jacket and stood up, grabbing the apple with his free hand and finally finishing the bite. He patted himself down to make sure he had all the things people in this place seemingly needed and was reassured. As he left the building he stood for a moment testing the air then picked a direction and started walking. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

As Makoto stepped out of the building where she lived into the crisp clear fall morning, a now familiar longing twinged in her breast. She leaned against a wall and raised a hand to press against her heart. "Oh, God." she whispered to herself, willing the feeling to subside--half scared that this time it wouldn't. It had been successful in overriding all other thoughts in her head and it was getting stronger. 

Her sleep had been a bit better last night, but her dreams had still been filled with fleeting images and impressions of the man from the restaurant the day before yesterday. The images had been disjointed, surreal, and she had been puzzling over them since she woke up. If this was what love did to you, she wanted no part of it. "I can't afford to have my mind wandering right now!" she scolded herself angrily. She looked at her watch and saw the time. "Let's get going! You'll be late." she chided herself into action. Lost in thought, she wasn't watching where she was going and slammed into something. She looked up, startled, an apology automatically forming on her lips in case it was a person and not a lamp post. 

"Gomen nasai..." her mouth froze in shock. She found Kieran--the exchange student she was unable to get out of her mind--looking down on her with a half smile on his lips. 

"Ohayo gozaimas!" he greeted cheerfully. 

"Ohayo," she replied, flustered, blushing. She stepped back, uncomfortable with the way every inch of skin that had been in contact with him tingled. "Fancy seeing you again so soon." she said, attempting to strike up a conversation. 

"Actually, I was kind of hanging around the end of your street hoping to see you again." he confessed softly, causing her heart to beat faster. He took a step towards her and grabbed her hand. 

"Makoto." he whispered, as their eyes locked. 

Makoto found herself tossed in a maelstrom of images and emotions and knew that Kieran was experiencing the exact same sensation. "What's happening to me?" she asked herself. Somehow they were exchanging memories with each other and it was so overwhelming it left her weak kneed. 

He experienced her joy when she was gliding across ice on skates and she discovered his deep love of music. His heart broke as she shared her pain at the loss of her parents with him and she knew the hollowness that had resided in his heart from never knowing his father. She saw two women and two girls with the same molten copper hair as Kieran standing in a magnificent hall and knew they were his family, while he saw a litany of unrest and change which suddenly stopped as Makoto had found a place where she truly belonged now that her parents were gone. All at once they knew each other's strength and weaknesses, and Makoto felt herself stagger. Kieran reached out and caught her, and she let herself lean against him. After a minute she looked up into his face. 

"What just happened?" she asked, dazed. 

"Our souls touched." he answered with a small smile. 

"Wow!...." she said softly. Suddenly she was aware of his arms around her, and every nerve in her body reacted. She straightened up, stepped back and looked appraisingly at him. "I feel like I should be embarrassed, but I'm not. I feel like I've known you forever." She coloured at her words and he raised a hand to her cheek. 

"That's what happens when you bond." he told her matter-of-factly. 

"Bond?" she asked, confused. 

"My people believe that certain men and women are destined to be together. This is pre-ordained from the beginning of time. You and I are such a pair." he informed her. 

"Huh?" she gave him a puzzled look and he smiled. 

"Overwhelming, isn't it?" he inquired. 

"I'll say!" she replied, a grin crossing her features to mask her bewilderment. 

"We need to talk." he told her simply. "Can you spare some time for me?" 

"Sure." she replied, knowing that she would pay in detention for not going to class, but this was too important--she needed to know. He gestured and she followed him, moving in the opposite direction from Juuban High. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Rei had risen early. She was determined to finish all her chores before classes began and ran out of the temple dressed in her robes, broom in hand. After what had happened last night, she knew that something was going to happen today--but she had no idea what it was--she wanted to think about it as she worked. She began to sweep the courtyard furiously. 

She was still unable to figure out what had happened last night at Mako's place, and kept replaying the scene over and over in her head. "How was that possible?" she asked herself quietly. She was frustrated and that always got her upset. "Who are these people that they possess such things?" She thought about the scrolls and herbs, but they were repeatedly eclipsed by the stone and its amazing properties. "Where did they come from?" she puzzled. 

Deimos and Phobos cawed from their perch on top of the Torii that was the gate to the temple and she shook herself out of her trance. She looked up at the ravens and was surprised to see a man standing with the birds perched on each of his forearms. She stood, transfixed, watching the scene unfold before her in disbelief. The only ones they ever came to was her. They avoided everyone else, but yet here they were perched on a total stranger. It almost seemed to her that the man was talking to them. He was dressed all in black, and coupled with his black hair and they way he was standing with his head cocked he seemed almost a raven himself. Rei shook her head at that. "Now you're imagining things." she scolded herself silently but she couldn't shake the thought. 

Rory had been walking blindly. He looked up as he came to a long row of steps and his gaze travelled to the top. There, at the top of the hill, was a huge white arch. As he watched, two ravens came to perch on top of it and called out their hoarse greeting to him. He began to ascend the steps and when he reached the top he held out his arms to act as perches for the birds that were flying down to meet him. They stood in silent communion for a few minutes and then he suddenly turned his head in the direction of Rei and caught her staring at him. She flushed and looked away for a second before berating herself for her reaction. This was her temple, he was the stranger here. She brought her eyes back to look at him, a challenge dancing in her stare. He raised his brows and smiled disarmingly at her, but instead of its desired effect it only seemed to make her angrier. She stalked towards him, broom in hand, and the ravens bristled before settling down again as if they knew her exact mood. 

"I think you better go to her, she seems jealous of your attention to me." she heard the man tell the bird on his right arm, and was surprised when the raven flew to her and landed on her shoulder. It pecked gently on her ear as if asking for forgiveness and she couldn't help but stroke his breast feathers. Her anger diffused and she stood slightly confused, wondering why she had been mad in the first place. 

"Hello," the black clad man said, cocking his head in the way that made the image of a raven leap into her mind again. "I was passing by and saw your ravens. They're very friendly, I'm sorry if I'm not supposed to touch them, but I love birds." 

"It's okay," Rei answered, reddening. "I'm sorry if I came on a bit strong, but it's just that I'm the only one they've ever gone to before and I got a bit territorial for a minute. You're actually the first person to ever call them friendly." she managed a small smile and looked up into his face. Her dark violet eyes widened as she met his bright golden stare. His eyes were magnificent, unlike any others she had seen before. "I'm Rei Hino, priestess of this temple." she told him with an awkward bow, due to Phobos being perched on her shoulder. He returned her bow but his was fluid, as if he did it all the time while carrying around large birds on his forearm. 

"I'm Rory Mc Redmond." he answered, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "A visitor to your beautiful country." 

"You're a tourist?" she asked, hoping that he wouldn't catch her studying him as he replied. He was tall, trim and handsome. His hair, tied back because of its length, was so black it shone with blue light. 

"No, actually, I'm here researching my doctoral thesis." Her brows shot up. He didn't look like someone going after a Ph.D. "I'm chasing the golden thread that runs through all faiths, and Shinto is the one I'm currently studying." he told her with a smile. He thanked Kalpernus silently for the cover story and watched the expression change on the young priestess' face as she absorbed it. 

"I was actually hoping to talk to some priests and priestesses." he gave her his most winsome smile. There was something about this place that reached out to him and he wanted to have the opportunity to figure out what it was. He realized he was holding his breath as he waited for her reply. 

"I'm sure my grandfather would love to help." she told him. 

"Grandfather?" he thought to himself. 

Rei continued, "I've got to get to class, but I'm sure Grandfather will talk to you. This is his temple. Come, I'll introduce you to him." She shooed Phobos off her shoulder and, as he ascended to the top of the Torii in noisy protest, she turned and gestured for Rory to follow her. He raised his arm so that the raven perched there was eye to eye with him. 

"I think you'd better join your friend, Deimos." he told it. It cawed in concurrence and took to wing, settling on top of the arch with Phobos. Rei froze--he had called the raven by name, and she hadn't told him either of their names. He looked up to see her frowning. "Is something the matter?" 

"How did you know his name?" she asked suspiciously. 

"He told me." he answered with a shrug as he gestured at the birds looking down on them from their lofty perch. The image of him as a raven flashed in her mind again and she shook her head, turning to lead him in search of her grandfather. 

They found the old man in the courtyard practicing martial arts with his disciple, Yuuichiro. 

Both men looked up as Rei approached them with the stranger. "Grandfather," Rei began, "this is Rory. He was wondering if you'd be willing to talk to him about the Shinto faith. He's writing a university paper and was hoping to talk to some priests and priestesses." 

"What about you?" her grandfather asked her. 

"I've got to get to class." she told him. "Otherwise I would stay and help him out." she handed her broom to Yuuichiro and excused herself to change for school. Rei's grandfather noticed the way the stranger's eyes followed his granddaughter and nodded to himself. 

"So...Rory is it?" the old man asked. The young man nodded. "And where are you from?" 

"Ireland, sir." Rory answered respectfully. 

"Rei said you're writing a paper, is that so?" Rory nodded again and the old priest continued. "I guess I can answer some questions for you." He turned to enter into the temple and beckoned Rory to follow him. "Yuuichiro, you need to practice some more." he told his disciple by way of dismissal. Yuuichiro stood for a few minutes looking from the broom that Rei had handed him to the door through which everyone had disappeared. All of a sudden he came to life and shrugged, beginning to practice his moves and sweep the courtyard in a strange combination. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Ami came downstairs to find her mother had already left for work, a note propped on the table to tell her that lunch was made and waiting for her in the fridge. The table had been set for one, her mother having eaten without her, and she went about her solitary breakfast in her usual way-- nose stuck in a book, oblivious to everything else. 

After she had finished and cleaned up, she opened the fridge to get her lunch and found two waiting for her. "Okaasan," Ami chided her absent parent "you've forgotten your lunch again." She smiled to herself then. This was actually a great excuse for her to visit the hospital before school started. She had gotten all the information she was going to about the two belts that were hidden in her dimensional pocket, and had been trying to think of an excuse to go visit her mother today so she could return them. She shrugged into her jacket and, arms full, she headed towards the hospital. 

Fintan had tried to get back to sleep after Rory had wakened him to let him know they were gone, but it was no good. He tossed and turned grumpily, finally throwing back the covers and sitting up, bleary eyed. 

"I can't get back to sleep." he complained to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest and rubbed his shoulders. He sat for a minute gathering his thoughts and then stood up and stretched exaggeratedly, grunting from the exertion. "May as well get myself together." his voice seemed to echo around the silent room. 

Twenty minutes later he was standing outside the building wondering what he should do to pass the time until the others came back. "Maybe I should go and visit Connor and Lorcan." he said to himself. "Maybe I can get Connor to wake up today." he continued, a slow smile spreading from one side of his face to the other as he anticipated tormenting his brother again. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans and started off in the direction of the hospital. As he walked, it struck him that it was a route he was becoming too familiar with, whether by roof or roadway. When he got close to the hospital, he ducked into a deserted alleyway and cast the same illusory glamour he had used on himself and Agate Sadar the previous day. Confident in his disguise, he walked boldly through the front doors of the hospital. 

Ami had waved to the desk clerk as she passed and held up her mother's lunch pack. The woman just nodded knowingly. Ami was a frequent visitor in the mornings, as Dr. Mizuno forgot her lunch on a semi-regular basis. She could eat in the hospital cafeteria if she wanted to, but found it too busy. She preferred a home-made lunch eaten in the quiet of the staff lounge. The clerk didn't blame the doctor--it was nice to get away from the hectic pace of the emergency ward. 

After Ami had deposited her mother's lunch in the staff room, she made her way towards the wing where the two nameless strangers lay waiting. She looked down at her watch. Rounds in that area were just finishing so she would have some time to return the belts to their rightful owners undisturbed. 

She stood outside the room where the men were and looked through the glass in the door to make sure the doctors were gone and its occupants asleep. Assured, she stepped softly inside, shutting the door gently behind her. Ami tiptoed closer to the beds to ensure both men were asleep and seeing their eyes closed she made her way over to the closet. She opened it slowly, careful not to make any noise, and took out the bag Usagi had had in her hands the other day. She set it on the floor and hunkered down beside it, rummaging in her dimensional pocket for the belts. Ami took one last, almost wistful look at the beautiful detailing on the buckles before stuffing them deep inside the bag. 

Lorcan was not sleeping. He had been feigning unconsciousness from the time the doctors had come in to check on him a short while ago. He was now watching the visitor to his room through slitted eyes--eyes that told him the truth about who she was. "Well, well." he said to himself. "A repeat visit from Princess Mercury. I'm honoured." 

Ami stood up when she was finished, looking around furtively to make sure no one was intruding on her. She was reassured again and went to stand in between the beds where the two strangers were lying, looking closely at each man as he lay unconscious. She found herself fascinated by their features--they were handsome and didn't look in the least bit threatening. As she was studying them she was tempted to shake them both awake but found the strength to stop herself before she did anything stupid. "What's wrong with me? That was something Usagi would do." She took her time and looked them over in a scientific manner, studying the myriad of monitors that were hooked up to the pair, looking for anything that constituted a clue to who they were and where they came from. The equipment wasn't giving up much information and Ami found herself shrugging. She glanced at her watch and frowned. She couldn't afford to stay any longer--if she left now she'd arrive at school just in time to avoid getting detention. Ami tore herself away from her analysis with a sigh and went to the door, pausing for a second to look back at the strangers. 

Lorcan's eyes snapped open as soon as the door closed behind her. "What did she put back in the bag?" He had been unable to see as she had had her back to him. He sat up and swung his legs off the side of the bed, trying to gather enough energy to stand for the first time in days. 

Fintan rounded the corner into the wing where his brother and friend were. He slammed into someone and stepped back, apologizing--surprised that it had happened. A young woman in a school uniform stood back, blushing and uttering her own apologies. 

"Gomen nasai!" she exclaimed, not raising her eyes to meet his. 

"Gomen." he replied, smiling as they began that awkward two-step as each tried to second guess the other's move. She looked up at him and their eyes met. A beautiful smile graced her lips as her amusement at the situation overcame her embarrassment. 

"Sorry," they said in unison. He chuckled and gave a slight bow. She returned it and stepped carefully around him, continuing on her way. He watched her back as she walked off down the corridor, struck by the smile she had afforded him. After a minute he shook himself out of his reverie and walked to the door at the end of the corridor. "Where'd she come from?" he wondered to himself, pausing with his hand on the handle and looking at the other doors that led off the corridor. He looked into the room and was surprised to see Lorcan sitting on the bed. He opened the door, rushing in to his compatriot's side. 

"Are you okay?" he asked urgently. 

"I'm fine. We just had a visitor and I'm kind of excited about it." Lorcan ran his fingers through his hair and began to pluck at the electrodes and sensors that covered his body. 

"Who?" Fintan asked, suddenly wondering about the girl he had run into outside in the corridor. "Who was here?" 

"Princess Mercury. She thought I was unconscious and put something into the bag over there in that closet." he raised a hand and gestured lazily at a door set into the wall. 

"What does she look like?" Fintan asked, eyes suddenly narrowing. 

"She's got short dark hair and blue eyes. She was wearing some sort of a uniform, but it was her. My eyes see the truth." he looked up at Lapis Sadar, puzzled. Fintan was frowning. 

"I think I just collided with her in the corridor." he told Lorcan, turning towards the door. "I'm going after her." Lorcan nodded, he had expected nothing less. 

"Let me know what happens." he told Lapis Sadar before resuming the liberation of his body from the machines that sat around his bed. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Rei was muttering to herself the whole time she was getting ready for school. "How did he know the name of the raven?" she was unsure, and felt ridiculous for almost believing his explanation that the bird had told him. The image of him superimposed with that of a raven flashed in her mind again, causing her to shake her head. The crease on her forehead deepened as she went over the strange scene under the torii. When she was ready, she gathered up her books and threw them carelessly into her bag. She closed it, picked it up and left her room--going in search of her grandfather and the young man, wondering why she was interested in him instead of suspicious. 

She found them sitting in the central courtyard of the temple, enjoying the small harmonious garden there. Her grandfather was telling the young man the history of the temple-- which stretched for many years into the past, well beyond the buildings that currently stood on the site. They looked up as Rei joined them. Rory was struck by how different she looked out of her priestly robes. She seemed harsher somehow, less forgiving. He got to his feet as she said her goodbyes and held out a hand. 

"It was nice meeting you." he told her. 

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you too." Rei took his hand and they looked each other in the eye as they shook hands awkwardly. She suddenly let go of him as if she'd been burned and managed to give her grandfather a small bow before running out of the garden with a strange look on her face. 

"Young people today are so restless," he commented to Rory, "they have no patience." Rory nodded in agreement, but he wasn't really listening to the old man. He was wondering what had just happened. His whole body was tingling and he thought about what Kieran had told him about his own bonding experience. "Could it be?" he wondered silently. 

Rei had charged out of the temple at full speed, almost knocking Yuuichiro over as she ran to the steps. She was still trying to figure out what was wrong with her when she reached the bottom of the hill and met up with a couple of girls who went to her school. She walked along with them in silence, but her mind was working overtime. "What just happened to me?" she pondered. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Ami had exited the hospital without further incident. As she passed by the reception desk she waved at the clerk. The woman waved back before getting back to work. Ami walked briskly, head down, her mind working overtime on the Senshi's latest problem. 

Fintan charged out of the hospital and stood looking around for the familiar figure of the girl he had collided with. He saw her about one hundred yards away heading north. He ducked into an alleyway and dispelled the glamour. He didn't want to meet his prospective bond-mate while disguised. Could they even bond if he was cloaked in illusion? He didn't think so. He broke into a run to close the distance between them, and as he neared her he slowed to a brisk walk. He concentrated solely on her, excluding everything else from his conscious mind. What was she like? What could he say to introduce himself? Maybe the direct approach would be best. Would she understand and accept what he had to tell her? He really, really hoped so. Why couldn't they just bond by accident, like Kieran and Jupiter. He grabbed the collar of his t-shirt and pulled on it, suddenly feeling like he couldn't breathe, that he needed air. The closer he came to her, the more it seemed to affect him. 

Ami was suddenly aware of someone walking very close behind her. She forgot the problem she had been mulling over and concentrated on whoever was following her. So far they hadn't made any threatening moves towards her, but she'd rather be safe than sorry given the events of the past few days. She picked up speed and rounded the next corner, stopping just out of sight and pressing herself close to the wall. The person who had been tailing her turned the corner and walked right past her, suddenly stopping as they realized she was no longer in front of them. He looked around for her, surprised to find her standing behind him expectantly, her arms folded in front of her. He grimaced and began to stammer out an explanation. 

"Heh heh....Ohayo gozaimas....Hajimemashite!" He blushed a deep crimson to his ears and Ami couldn't help but smile. He seemed even more painfully shy than she was. She looked him up and down as she replied. 

"Ohayo gozaimas." she gave him a slight bow and looked into his face. As their eyes met she had the feeling she knew him from somewhere--he seemed familiar somehow. 

"Um... I was wondering if we could talk." he told her, breaking away from her serious blue gaze to look at the ground in front of him. "I know this'll sound stupid to you, but I've been wanting to meet you for some time." She cocked her head and smiled. 

"That's a very old line, you know." she answered. He seemed stricken by her comment and she had to stifle a laugh that bubbled up inside her. He was very nervous, she could tell, and it seemed unfair to make him feel any more uncomfortable. She gave him a small smile of encouragement and it seemed to her that his spirits buoyed immediately. "If you'd like you can walk with me. I'm sorry that I can't stop and talk to you, but I've really got to get to school." She began to move in the direction of Juuban High and the man fell into step beside her, his head down and his hands crammed into the pockets of his blue jeans. They walked in awkward silence until Ami could take it no more. 

"I'm Ami Mizuno." she said by way of introduction. "And you are?" 

"I'm Fintan Gorman." he replied. 

"That's not an Asian name." she commented. "Where are you from?" 

"Ireland--I'm an exchange student pursuing a degree in Anthropology...specifically the Japanese culture." He was glad he had paid attention to Kalpernus. Thanks to his careful preparations he probably knew as much about the Japanese as the Japanese themselves. Ami's eyes lit up, her interest sparked. He must be a serious scholar to travel halfway around the world for his education. 

"So you wanted to talk?" she prompted as they walked. 

"Yes," he answered, "but I don't quite know where to begin." 

"The start is as good a place as any, don't you think?" she told him. She'd never had a guy act so tongue-tied around her and found it charming. 

"Okay." he fell silent. 

"Well?" Ami stopped and turned to look at him. 

"Would you believe me if I told you we were destined to be together?" he asked. 

"Come now, you're feeding me another line, Gorman-san." she admonished, turning away from him and walking briskly in the direction of school, disappointed. He stood looking after her for a few moments before a look of determination settled on his face. He ran behind her and took her by the shoulders, turning her briskly to face him. 

"Wait!" he looked imploringly into her eyes, trapping her in his lilac gaze. She raised her hands to take his hands off her shoulders and gasped as she was flooded with a strange tingling sensation. She saw that he had pulled up short too, shocked. 

"Is he experiencing this too?" she wondered to herself as she was surrounded by thoughts that weren't her own. Overwhelmed by the sensation she let go, dropping his hands to his sides. She studied him, noting that his expression had changed from shock to rapture. "Are you okay, Gorman-san?" she asked softly. He snapped out of his trance. 

"Huh?...Oh, wow! So that's how it feels." Ami frowned at his comment. 

"How what feels?" she asked him suspiciously. 

"Bonding." he answered, sotto voce. 

"I think you were right. We need to talk." she thought about school--obviously she wouldn't get there today. Something weird had just happened and she really needed to know just what. "Let's go somewhere we can talk." she told him. He nodded, still busy revelling in the bonding experience, and followed her as she struck off in the opposite direction from the Juuban High. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Usagi met up with Minako at lunch. "Have you seen Ami or Makoto this morning at all, Mina-chan?" Usagi asked as she sat down beside her friend. 

"No." Mina answered. "And I never even caught a glimpse of Rei on her way to school this morning like I usually do, either." 

"Really?" Usagi seemed surprised. "I wonder what happened? I just made it to school in the nick of time this morning, so I never thought much about not seeing them. I do have some classes with them though, and neither were there." 

"If it had've been something important, they would have called on the communicators, Usagi-chan. I guess we'll just have to wait until after school to find out. It wouldn't be in our best interest to skip out and look for them just because we're curious. Not that I'm not dying to or anything." Minako added the last remark with a grin. 

"I suppose," Usagi answered a little reluctantly. She tucked into her lunch help her keep her mind off the question of where they were. 


	7. Enlightenment

Chapter Seven

  


By deDanaan

  


Enlightenment

  


Makoto and Kieran made their way to a secluded spot in the local park. The same park where Sailor Jupiter had come across the unconscious strangers lying on a scorched patch of ground. Mako sat on a bench, obscured from public view by a copse of trees, and gestured for Kieran to sit down beside her. He complied, slightly self-conscious because he was totally alone with her. Makoto turned and addressed him, uncertain of where to start. 

"Okay....." she trailed off, many questions vying for precedence in her mind and on her tongue. Where to begin? "So, let's get this straight. We've bonded?" she arched her brows at him and he smiled. 

"Yes." he answered simply. "Do you mind if I take your hand?" He watched her blush and found himself smiling. She was beautiful with the added colour in her cheeks and he had to resist the urge to reach out and gently trace a finger down her cheek. 

"Ano...no, I don't mind." she replied quietly, offering her hand to him and trying to hide her embarrassment. 

"That's good." he looked deeply into her eyes as he took her hand gently in his. "It's much easier this way." She was puzzled for a moment, wondering what he meant, but after a few seconds the furrows in her brow disappeared. They were exchanging thoughts again, but this time she wasn't receiving a jumbled mass of images from him. This time it was a directed, organized flow. 

Makoto learned everything about his past--who he really was and where he was from. If she hadn't had previous experience with the strange and unusual she would have found herself disbelieving. 

Images of Kieran as a young boy flowed through her mind first. A small, tousle headed, red-haired boy with tears running down his cheeks as he faced the taunts of the other boys on the hurley field. "Kieran's a monster!" they called, their clamouring voices totally overwhelming. She felt his hands tighten on the hurley bat and knew his knuckles had been white from the intensity of his grip--never mind that it had happened years before. 

"He doesn't know who his father is!" came the sing-song cruelty. 

"Bastard!" yet others chorused. 

"Half-breed!" Would it ever end? His memory of the taunting was so intense that Makoto felt involuntary tears slip down her own cheeks as she sympathized with his plight. No, it was more than sympathy. She could feel every last morsel of pain that had coursed through his young mind. Was this bonding? 

She journeyed with him as he grew older and watched as he was accepted into the ranks of his mother's peers. His mother was a master musician and more...she had the ability to weave wondrous magic with her song and he was following in her footsteps. The music was intoxicating. It filled a void in him. 

He grew older still and his mother remarried yet again, presenting him with two more sisters. Then something happened that would forever change the course of his life. Kieran was suddenly the object of great scrutiny. The elders of his people were excited. He was one of the chosen. One of the prophesied saviours of their race. He was about eleven years old then and didn't really understand everything that was going on around him, but he was glad the other boys had stopped bullying and teasing him. Suddenly he was important and cherished by people other than his mother for the first time in his young life. 

Kieran now stayed with a stern older man most of the time. This man had been his stepfather for a while and was father to his sister, Aislin. His visits to his family became less frequent and more treasured as he was subjected to hour after hour of training. A lot rested on his inexperienced, narrow shoulders, but he revelled in it. One by one other chosen were revealed--all younger than him--and he grew from a lonely, solitary figure to a cherished member of a group. For the first time outside of his family, he felt like he had value. He felt like he belonged. He revelled in his new role as one of the Sadar and ceased to chafe against the yoke laid upon him by the adults. 

As puberty hit, he filled out and sprung up impressively, becoming one of the tallest men in the land. The last remnants of teasing died out in the face of this. Even the most callous bullies--those who hadn't cared that he was one of the chosen--finally realized he was a force to be reckoned with and ceased tormenting him. 

Makoto learned about the threat to his kingdom and the prophecy that said the chosen would journey to a world from the Tuatha deDanaan's past to seek out a group of female warriors. She finally understood. The Senshi were the ones being sought by Kieran and his friends. Each Sadar had a corresponding Senshi with whom they could bond, and through the co-operation of both groups a terrible evil spanning both worlds would be vanquished. 

The images suddenly stopped as Kieran released her hand. She looked up at him and managed a smile as he reached out to wipe the trail of tears from her face. What he had shared with her was overwhelming and she needed a few minutes to digest it all. The Sailor Senshi were known of in a dimension other than the Negaverse? This was amazing. 

"You're one of the men that came through that portal the other day." she said, after clearing her throat. 

"Yes, that's right....we came through a portal, but how would you know? We don't remember anything except waking up in one of your hospitals." 

"I was witness to your arrival." she answered, standing up. "Come with me." she held out her hand to him and he stood up and took it. She led him to the area where the portal had left its mark on the earth. He looked at the scorched ground and she told him of her experiences, tightening her grip on his hand. As she softly recalled the events of a few days ago, he found himself experiencing what had happened from her point of view. He understood her apprehension, her unconscious elation at being thrust into action again. He saw the faces of other young women through her eyes and knew that he was looking upon the other warriors she fought alongside. He felt what it was like for her to link powers with the other Senshi and use the teleport spell. 

He found himself smiling at her. "So that was how we reached the hospital." He couldn't wait to tell the others. 

"Will you come with me?" he implored suddenly. 

"Where?" she asked, looking up at him. He was about a foot taller than she, and she was captivated by that fact. He was one of a scant handful of men she knew that was taller than her. 

"To meet my friends," he replied, "if that's okay with you." 

"The ones who escaped from the hospital with you?" He nodded and she fell into step beside him. "Okay. But you're going to have to do the same thing for me. I don't want my friends to think I'm nuts if I tell them what's going on." 

"No problem. I think that the sooner we can unite our two teams the better." 

"Especially if this enemy is as scary as it sounds." She didn't like the impression she had gotten from him of the evil they would soon be facing. "What exactly do you know about them? You must have some idea of what it is, otherwise why would you have come all this way to find us?" 

"Well," he began, "Garnet Sadar is convinced that our traditional enemies are no longer working on their own." Makoto frowned as he continued, "Garnet Sadar thinks that our enemies, the Fomori, have teamed up with your traditional foes in an attempt to defeat both dimensions." 

"Kuso!" Mako swore softly, almost under her breath. The Negaverse teaming up with someone else--it really was bad. "Okay then, what are we waiting for?" she prompted, her newfound concern making her suddenly impatient. "Let's go!" They began to walk quickly, hand in hand, towards his apartment building, sharing memories, ideas and opinions constantly even though they were both silent.   


* * *

  
  
  


Ami and Fintan hadn't spoken a word to each other in the nearly twenty minutes since she had agreed to go with him and talk. They were both too busy with their thoughts to mind the silence, though. She pulled up short outside a small cafe that was open for breakfast and Fintan almost ran into her, lost in thought as he was. 

"Are you hungry?" she asked, as he looked questioningly at her. 

"As a matter of fact, I am." he replied, adding, "I haven't eaten yet this morning." 

"Let's go in here to talk." she told him. It's quiet now as it's after nine -- and I can vouch for the food." He smiled at her and opened the door. 

"After you, Milady." he invited, gesturing inside with an exaggerated flourish of his arm. She couldn't resist smiling back as she stepped into the cafe ahead of him. 

Ami had picked a booth in the quietest corner of the cafe and they sat browsing over the menus and sizing each other up. Ami decided Fintan looked like a serious young man and he in turn decided that her face lit up beautifully when she smiled. 

"So, Gorman-san," she began, breaking the ice, "what's this bonding thing?" Just as he was about to answer, the waitress came to take their orders and Ami found herself impatiently waiting for his answer. When the waitress left -- finally -- he answered her question. 

"Bonding is when two souls combine into one." he informed her. It sounded so ridiculous, Ami found herself stifling a laugh, but she soon sobered as she regarded his serious mien. He wasn't joking, not in the least. 

"Would you like to elaborate?" she found herself asking, sounding hollow, knowing she knew the answer but didn't want to admit it. She watched him shrug easily as he gathered his thoughts. 

"Well, my people believe that...." he was cut off in mid sentence by her. 

"What do you mean 'my people'?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Who are your people?" 

"The Tuatha de Danaan" he replied, matter of factly. 

"Can you explain that in a language I understand?" she asked, needing further clarification. She was familiar with quite a few languages, but the one he was using wasn't one of them. 

"It means 'the People of Danu'." he elaborated. "Danu is our mother, years back, and we've been known as her children ever since. We've got quite a history on your world." 

"What do you mean, 'Our world'?" she asked him, a suspicious tone creeping into her voice. 

"Are you familiar with the mythology of what used to be the Celtic Kingdoms?" Ami felt her heart skip a beat. Rei was right. The strangers were Celts and the man sitting across from her seemed to be one. She shook her head, playing dumb, and he continued. "Many centuries ago, my people lived and loved on an island of this world." he regarded her seriously, hoping that she was paying attention and was happy to find that she actually was. "We became the stuff of myth here, revered like gods ourselves, although we were nothing compared with Mother Danu." 

Ami found herself fascinated with his story, remaining silent as he continued. "Today that island is known as Ireland, but when we lived there it was known as Eriu." 

"Eriu?" she found herself asking, curious as to its origins. 

"Eriu, after one of our numbers. A magnificent woman, greatly admired by all." he clarified yet again. "Which is the derivation of the island's modern name--Eire, or Ireland." 

Ami sat there with her mouth open. She had a hard time believing what she'd been told, what with the fact that a real flesh and blood 'original' Celt sat in front of her supplying her with this information. She had so many things she wanted to ask tumbling through her mind, seeking precedence, that she had no idea where to begin her questioning. She decided to keep silent for the time being and see where he would go next. 

"Anyway," he continued, steering the subject back to what it had been, "back to the Soul Bond. You and I are now Soul Bonded." she looked askance across the table at him and he elaborated. "There are people who are destined to bond. Not many, mind you, but there are enough that stories have sprung up over the centuries about them." 

"Like who?" she blurted out, curious. 

"In Ancient Ireland there was CuChulainn and Emer, for one example." 

"Who?" she asked, never having heard of them. 

"I'm sure there are more examples down through human history." Ami found herself nodding--she knew there were, both real and fictional. Fintan continued, "The Soul Bond is a joining of hearts and minds. You are no longer alone, but half of a new entity. In our case, because we both have hidden talents, the new entity is quite powerful and unique." Her heart skipped a beat as he talked of hidden talents. Could he know her secret? If what he said about bonding was true, he did, because he had access to her mind, just as she supposed she had access to his. That thought stopped her and she looked up at him to find him smiling. 

"Give me your hand." It was almost an order but she complied, curious, reaching over to place her hand in his outstretched one. All at once a host of unfamiliar thoughts filled her head. She was almost overwhelmed, but suddenly his voice was there inside her mind, "Be strong, Princess Mercury." She relaxed immediately, even though she had been startled by how he had addressed her. "But, but.... how is this possible?" she stammered. He regarded her with that same smile on his face, humour dancing in his lilac gaze. 

"It's the nature of the Soul Bond." Again his lips had not moved, but his voice filled her head. "We are now one, Ami, let me share everything with you." He brought his other hand up to cover hers completely and Ami gasped as she began to experience his life from the memories that came washing over her. 

Ami saw his life unfold before her, experiencing it from his point of view, knowing his feelings as she came to know him from his memories. He valued knowledge as much as she did and much of what she experienced of his life involved learning--not learning in the sense that she knew it, but definitely as effective--late night discussions with wise men and philosophers, learning the natural order of things and all about the elements. She wanted to have him share her memories and know her in the same way, but wasn't sure how to go about it. "Gorman-san, how do I share my memories with you?" she asked. 

"Will them at me." he guided. "It's easier when you are in direct contact. It's why I asked you to give me your hand." She was suddenly acutely aware of her hand in his and butterflies began in the pit of her stomach. He experienced her discomfort and laughed gently, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Share yourself with me." She blushed at the intimacy and concentrated on sharing herself with him. 

Fintan's eyes widened as he experienced her life. He saw her growing up bullied and disliked because of her intelligence and drive for perfection. He understood the loneliness that was her constant companion up until the day she met her friends, the other warriors the Sadar were searching for. He found she had a quiet, sly sense of humour. She was often highly amused by the things that went on around her, but rarely showed it, preferring to present a stoic face to the world. Fintan smiled again. He was sure it would be very interesting to be inside her head. Very interesting indeed. 

They were startled by the sound of the waitress politely asking to be excused as she set down two plates of food in front of them. They dropped their hands to their sides and busied themselves with their napkins, murmuring apologies and thanks as she turned to go. The woman bowed in acknowledgement and moved on to tend her next table of customers. 

Ami and Fintan ate in silence, their knowledge-hungry minds enraptured by their telepathic and empathic exchange. He watched a blush creep across her cheeks as she realized the full implication of their bond. They could not hide from each other--there would be no secrets between them, every thought laid bare, an open book for the other to read. Ami suddenly dropped her chopsticks and sat back, closing her eyes and taking deep breath. 

"I can handle this....I can handle this." she reassured herself, all the while doubting it. 

"Yes you can, Ami." Fintan's voice was in her head, but she welcomed it as it was comforting and lent her strength to accept what was happening to her. "We will anchor each other."   


* * *

  
  
  


Naimh's packing was interrupted by a knock. "Come in!" she called, not bothering to look round to see who had come to visit her. She had a good idea that it would be one of two people--either one of her parents--and waited for them to speak. 

"Naimh, Mavournin, can I have a moment?" came the melodious question. It was her mother. She stopped what she was doing and turned to face her, a slight smile playing at the corner of her lips. 

"Of course you can, Mother." Aislin walked further into her daughter's room and made herself comfortable on the end of the bed. Naimh continued filling her bag as her mother spoke. 

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm proud of you, daughter, and that I hope you'll show everyone my confidence in you isn't misplaced." 

"I'll show them what a daughter of Aislin can do. I'll prove to them that I'm worthy of the mission I've been given." Naimh stopped folding her clothes and turned to her mother. 

"What does father think?" she asked, hoping her mother could tell her something. 

"He's proud, but he's upset." 

"You think so?" 

"I know so." Aislin stood facing her daughter, arms folded across her chest. "You may be a descendant of the Dagda, but you are still his little girl, no matter what happens." 

"And that's the whole problem, isn't it?" the younger woman retorted. 

"Yes it is, but you must remember that I've given up one child to this cause already, while your father has only you to give up." 

"But he trained Kieran and the others."came the rebuttal. "He of all people should understand." 

"And he does, in a way, but that doesn't mean he likes it." Niamh looked askance at her mother. 

"That's what I don't get. I mean, he's trained five men for a life and death situation, but he can't handle me getting involved. Even if I am his only child, it doesn't make sense." 

"Whoever said being a parent meant being sensible?" Aislin asked. Niamh shook her head. "He'll have to accept your mission, even if he doesn't like it. I just ask you to be careful and show him his faith in you isn't misplaced. That's the best way to show him how you've grown." Aislin held out her arms to her daughter and Niamh flung herself into her mother's embrace. 

"I love you, Mavournin." 

"I love you too, Mother. You've always given me the benefit of the doubt." She hugged her mother tightly. 

"Ah, but wasn't I once young myself?" the older woman murmured into her daughter's hair. 

"Do you have any messages you want me to bring to Kieran?" Naimh asked. 

"Just that he bring the both of you and the others home safely." Aislin replied, letting her grip on her daughter loosen. Niamh nodded that she'd deliver the message. "You'd better hurry and gather up your things. It's almost time to for everyone to meet at the standing stones." 

"I just need a few minutes more and I'll be ready to go." 

"I'll be waiting with your sisters in the great hall. We'll walk with you to the hill." Aislin told her as she went to leave. 

"I'll be right there." Niamh replied, and redoubled her packing efforts as the door shut behind her.   


* * *

  
  
  


Rei had been unable to concentrate all morning. It had gotten her into trouble with the sisters more than once during her classes but she couldn't help it. It was lunchtime and she was sitting alone under a tree on the school grounds, her bento box open in front of her but its contents untouched. She kept replaying that morning's encounter over and over in her head. Why was she unable to get him out of her mind? Granted, he was very handsome but that wasn't it. He had a presence, something she couldn't put a finger on. And there was that business with the ravens. What was that? How had he known their names? And when they had shaken hands something had happened, but she wasn't sure what. She just knew that it had felt strange, like she suddenly was a part of him and he of her. Why else would she be unable to stop thinking about him? It had spooked her so much it had caused her to run out of the temple with barely a 'by your leave' to her grandfather. "I've got to go back there. I've got to face him if he's still there, so I can get on with my day." 

Rei put her lunch away and made her way to the school office where she made the excuse that she had to leave early. The secretary gave her a funny look as if she knew what Rei had just told her didn't ring true, but answered that it was okay and that she'd let her teacher know she'd be absent for the rest of the day. "Are you sure you don't want to go see the nurse?" she asked as Rei turned to leave, noticing that she seemed pale and unusually quiet. 

"No, I'll be fine, thanks." the young priestess replied in a subdued voice. She gathered her books from her locker and walked home slowly, noticing not one thing that was going on around her.   


* * *

  
  
  


Rory had enjoyed his morning of sitting and discussing religion and philosophy with Rei's grandfather. The old man had a quick wit and could discuss any number of subjects at length. He had been suspicious that Rory hadn't produced a pad of paper and a pen to jot down notes, but Rory assured him it wasn't necessary and repeated everything back to the old man word for word. The priest had been impressed. Very few in this day and age possessed such a gift. Rory explained that he came from a place with a grand oral tradition so a good memory was a prized possession. They had just launched into a spirited debate about shamanistic religions when Rory's attention was caught by Deios and Phobos calling out a raucous greeting from their perch on top of the arch. The old priest looked up in the direction of the Torii, which could be seen from where they sat in the garden, and cocked his head--a puzzled frown creasing the centre of his brow. 

"What's Rei doing home so early? Something must be wrong." He stood up in one fluid motion that belied his age and turned to his companion. "I hope she's not sick." 

Rory nodded in agreement. He too hoped the young priestess wasn't sick, but was feeling nervous at the prospect of seeing her again. The whole while he'd been talking with her grandfather, he'd been replaying the scene from earlier that morning over and over in his head. Was she the Guardian of Mars it had been foretold he'd bond with? He stood up and followed the old priest as he made his way to the doors of the building. There was the sound of something heavy being dropped to the floor and the old man called out in greeting. 

"Rei, is that you?" 

"Yes, Grandfather!" came the reply from somewhere within the temple. 

"Is everything okay?" 

"........." Rei opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. What would she say anyway? She sighed and began to walk in the direction from which her grandfather's voice had come. "This shouting is useless, not to mention that it's making my head hurt." As she turned the corner, she met up with her grandfather and Rory. On her return she had grilled Yuuichiro and he confirmed the young researcher was still deep in conversation with the old priest in the temple gardens. But even though she knew he was here, Rei was surprised at how she reacted to seeing him again. "Amaterasu, my knees are trembling." 

"You look pale, Granddaughter, are you ill?" 

"I need to read the fire," she began, "and then I'll be able to speak to you." She turned and looked at Rory. "Please don't leave, I'm sure I'll have to speak to you too." 

The image of a raven surrounded by a nimbus of fire flashed in Rory's mind and he jerked, startled. His bull dream was true--she was the one, he was sure of it. He stood with Rei's grandfather and watched her retreat down the hallway towards the sacred fire. 

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see what she has to say." the old man said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Would you like some tea?" Rory nodded and the priest gestured for him to follow. 

* * *

  


"Anyone home?" Kieran called as he held open the door of the apartment and ushered Makoto in ahead of him. Silence greeted him. "I guess not." he shrugged at his guest before closing the door behind them. He held out a hand for her jacket and hung it up beside his own before inviting her into the living room. 

"Nice place you've got here." Mako commented as she looked around. 

"Yeah, we lucked into it." 

"I'll say. How's the view?" she asked as she went over and stood at the patio doors. 

"Rory seems to like it." Kieran replied. "Haven't spent much time looking out the windows, myself--of course, I've been busy meeting beautiful women with amazing secret powers." Makoto couldn't help smiling at that. 

" I guess we've got to kill some time before your friends come back....It would be best to wait here for them, right? All of my friends are in school until late this afternoon, so it would be pointless to go looking for them." 

He nodded. "I'm sure they'll be back soon. In the meantime can I offer you a tour and something to eat or drink?" 

"Sounds good." 

"Which one?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her. "The tour or the refreshments?" 

"Both." she answered with a laugh. "Now quit being silly and show me around." 

"As you wish. But I'll have you know I'm not silly."he said with a wink before offering her his arm. She took it, shaking her head--Kieran Glas was incorrigible.   


* * *

  
  
  


Ami and Fintan finished eating, paid their bill, and left the restaurant. They stood for a few minutes on the street wondering what to do next before Fintan spoke up. 

"Will you come with me to meet my friends?" he asked her. She nodded and, as he led her in the direction of his apartment, he continued. "This is great, Kieran will be happy to know he's not the only one who has bonded." 

"One of your friends has bonded too?" Ami asked, incredulous. "With who?" 

"The only person he can--the guardian of Jupiter, of course." 

"Of course....." Ami's mouth hung open. She was tempted to take his hand again so she could find out everything in a split second. 

"It was purely accidental, though--a chance meeting. They'd bonded without even realizing it. Quartz Sadar, who is our true seer, figured out what happened and told him." 

"Quartz Sadar? Is he the silver haired man in the hospital?" 

"The very same. One of his talents is that he can see the truth in everything." 

"That would explain how he knew who we really were when we paid him a visit." Fintan nodded and Ami asked, "Who is he?" 

"His name's Lorcan and he's the son of our High King, Nuada. He's also the leader of the Sadar." 

"And the other man in the hospital with him?" Ami watched as Fintan's open face became closed and a frown settled on his brow. 

"Topaz Sadar is my brother, Connor. He hasn't regained consciousness since we came through the portal to your world." 

"I'm sorry," she laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Will he be alright?" 

"He's the toughest person I know next to Agate Sadar, it'll only be a matter of time before he comes round and we can get down to business." 

"Seems to me that business has pretty much been taking care of itself, don't you think?" The thought popped into Fintan's head and he looked over at Ami to find her smiling broadly at him. 

"I guess I'd have to agree with you on that one." he answered.   


* * *

  
  
  


Rei knelt in front of the sacred fire, trying to clear her mind so that she could focus on what it would reveal to her. She couldn't get Rory out of her mind and berated herself on her lack of discipline. "C'mon, Rei, as a priestess you're supposed to be beyond this! Concentrate!" 

She found she was able to empty her mind of everything other than the dark haired young man. No matter how hard she tried she kept remembering how he had looked as he stood under the Torii with Deios and Phobos perched on his forearms. Just when she was about to throw her hands up in the air and give up, she found images beginning to appear in the fire that was dancing a few feet away from her and let out a gasp. 

There in the flames was Rory, with four other young men. She didn't recognize any of the others at all until she studied them more closely. She suddenly recognized the patterns on two of the belts worn around their waists. One was a starburst and the other a stylized dog. Rory was one of the strangers from the park? She noted the pattern on his belt buckle with surprise--it was a zoomorphic bird. Could it represent the raven? If it did, it would explain why that image kept popping into her head whenever she thought about him. 

Rei then saw images of herself and the other inner Senshi dancing in the flames, intertwining with those of the men. As the vision faded and she was left only with questions, she knew she had to talk to Rory. She had a feeling that only he could help her divine the meaning of what she had just seen.   


* * *

  
  
  


"Here you go," Kieran said as he handed Makoto one of the steaming cups he was carrying. Mako drew the cup up under her nose and inhaled its scent, trying to discern what it was. 

"Smells good. What is it?"she asked. 

"Mulled wine." he replied. Her eyebrows shot up and he continued, "It's good for what ails you on a cold, blustery autumn day." She took a sip and looked up at him. 

"You're right, it's really good. So that's what was taking so long. I'm impressed." And she was. She'd been expecting instant coffee or a soft drink--something along those lines. They sat across from each other at the table drinking in companionable silence but still speaking to each other through the telepathic link their bond had established. 

"Am I just imagining it, or is our link getting stronger?" Makoto's question popped into Kieran's head. 

"You're not imagining it. According to our mentor, Kalpernus, the longer you are bonded, the stronger and more powerful the link becomes." came Kieran's telepathic reply. 

"Is he bonded?" 

"No, bonding is very rare. But he has studied the few bonded couples in Tir na nOg, so he knows what he's talking about." 

"There are other bonded couples? Other than the Senshi and Sadar, I mean....." 

Their telepathic rapport was interrupted just then by the sound of a door being opened. They both looked around to see who was there. Makoto was somewhat startled to see Ami being ushered over the threshold and into the apartment. 

"Ami-chan!" she cried, jumping up to greet her friend. "What are you doing here?" 

"I'm here with Fintan," she turned to indicate the tall blond man with spiky hair standing behind her with a bemused look on his face, "it seems that just like you have a bond-mate, so do I." 

"See, I told you I wasn't lying." Kieran added. 

"I knew you weren't." Mako retorted, a look of exasperation crossing her features before she turned to address her friend. "Oh, Ami-chan, I'm so glad that I'm not alone in this. I was so worried everyone would think I was nuts when it came time to tell them." 

"Usagi would believe you, no matter what." 

"And that's my point--she'd be the only one. No-one else would believe me. If you hadn't bonded with him," she indicated the man standing behind Ami, "you'd have been the one to resist the most, what with your scientific and logical ways of thinking." 

"I agree, but that's not what has happened." Ami replied, turning to Fintan. "Fintan, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Makoto Kino." The tall blonde man and Makoto bowed to each other in greeting. "Mako-chan, this is Fintan Gorman." 

"And this is Kieran Glas......Kieran, this is Ami Mizuno, the guardian of Mercury." Ami looked up at Mako, startled at her introduction and Makoto went on to reassure her. "It's okay, Ami-chan, just like it probably is for you two, Kieran knows everything about me and I know everything about him." 

"Pleased to meet you, Ami.......so now that we've all been introduced, what next?" asked Kieran. 

"I say we round up the others and get down to business." replied Fintan. "Feel like going to fetch Lorcan and Connor?" 

"Sounds like a plan. Even if Connor is still out of it, he should be where we can protect him if they come." 

"They?" questioned Makoto and Ami in unison. 

"Our enemies." Fintan clarified for them. 

"How are we going to get two grown men out of the hospital without anyone noticing?" Makoto wanted to know. 

"How did we get out without anyone noticing?" Kieran answered her question with one of his own. "It's possible, we've just got to be careful."   


* * *

  
  
  


The tall dark-haired general was stalking through the palace corridors. He had been summoned by the king and was making his way to the audience chamber, a grim look on his face. He would be meeting his counterpart from their new allies, but he wasn't thrilled by these developments. Were they so weak that they had to form an alliance with beings from another dimension? Could they trust this Negaverse? What were their goals with this alliance? He stopped at the doors to the audience chamber and was saluted by two guards. He returned the gesture as he waited for them to swing the doors open so he could pass. 

"Ah, here he comes now," Balor, King of the Fomori, commented to the pair standing to his right as Saoirse walked into the chamber. The king hadn't even taken his eyes off the plans and maps laid out on the huge stone table in front of him. "Saoirse, I want you to meet Lady Covellite and her aide, Hessite." The general bowed to the woman but nodded towards Hessite as he was unsure of the man's stature. 

"Now where were we?" Balor questioned, introductions neatly out of the way. 

"We were discussing military allotments and our mutual responsibilities in regards to this joint effort of ours." Lady Covellite replied. 

"Saoirse, what do you think of this proposal?" Balor asked his general as he thrust a scroll towards him. Saoirse read over what was written up and nodded. 

"Seems fair enough to me, my Liege. This will be a true joint effort?" 

"It is the best way for us to accomplish all our goals. You and Lady Covellite will be partnered. She is highly regarded by her King. Together you will direct your soldiers and gain a foothold in both dimensions." 

"Understood." Saoirse and Covellite said in unison. 

"Good! I'll leave you now to your planning. I trust that I don't need to remind you that we want results fast." Balor straightened up from his study of the table and fixed them both with a stare that imparted the urgency of their task before turning and leaving the room. Saoirse was glad the king didn't have the same power as his ancestor of the same name when it came to his gaze, or they would have all been burnt to a cinder where they stood. 

"I do hope we can be friends, General." Lady Covellite addressed Saoirse. "It will make working together that much more pleasant." He gave the woman an appraising stare. She was decked out in finery, not one hair on her blonde head out of place. She didn't look like an expert tactician or military mind. She looked like she should be sitting in court, all empty headed, but very pleasant to look at. 

"I'm sure we will." he replied curtly. "Now, shall we get down to planning?" Lady Covellite laughed delightedly at his response, her grey eyes dancing as she took a measure of the man in front of her. 

"All business and no pleasure? Ah well....As you wish. Hessite, bring me that box of scrolls there." she directed towards her aide. The man bowed and complied, setting the open box down on the table in front of her. 

"These are some of my ideas." she explained, picking up the the first scroll in the box and unfurling it to share what was written there with her new Fomori partner. As he leaned over to read the scroll he pushed his long hair back over an ear to keep it out of the way. Lady Covellite noted with interest that the general had pointed ears.   


* * *

  
  
  


Lorcan was sitting up in his hospital bed, bored out of his skull. He had feigned unconsciousness yet again this morning when the doctors had come to check on him. He sat looking over at Connor, wondering when the man was finally going to wake. He hadn't thought the shift force damage would be so extreme, yet he had only to remember how bruised his own body was to understand why Connor was still out for the count. Coming through the portal first must have been brutal. 

The door to the room opened and Lorcan panicked for a moment, hoping that it wasn't doctors. He did not want to have to answer their questions. He relaxed as Fintan stuck his head around the door. "Hey Lorcan, how are you feeling?" 

"Fine, why?" Lorcan noticed with puzzlement that Fintan had not yet stepped into the room. 

"How do you feel about surprise visitors?" 

"You found her?" Lorcan asked, excitement creeping into his voice. Fintan nodded and stepped aside, ushering Ami into the room. She blushed as she met his gaze. "Hello again, Princess Mercury." he greeted. 

"Please, call me Ami."she replied, stepping forward to take his hand in greeting. 

"Are you up for another visitor?" Kieran asked as he stepped into the room, hand in hand with Makoto. 

"Things are really coming together, aren't they?" Lorcan asked rhetorically as he turned to greet Makoto. "Hello, Princess Jupiter." 

"Hello, Seer," she returned. Lorcan raised an eyebrow at Kieran. 

"She knows?" he asked. 

"Of course she does. We're bonded, or have you forgotten?" 

Lorcan's response was to burst out laughing. "No. I just like to get a rise out of you. Did it work?" He looked over at Kieran who was clenching his fists and grinning stupidly all at once. 

"I'm not going to answer that." came the reply, before the tall red-head decided to change the subject. "Anyway, we're going to bust the pair of you out of here." 

"It's about time." 

"Has Connor regained consciousness yet?" This time the question came from Fintan. He had moved to stand beside his brother's bed. Ami let go of Lorcan's hand and moved over to stand next to Connor, stopping to read the monitors that were hooked up to her bond-mate's brother. 

"His vital signs are all normal." she told Fintan, speaking out loud so the others would be included in the conversation. "I've no idea why he hasn't come around yet." 

"So it shouldn't be harmful to move him?" The tall, blonde Celt queried. 

"I don't think so." 

"Okay, then what the hell are we waiting for?" Makoto and Kieran asked in unison, cracking their knuckles. The other three looked at them, puzzled, questioning the synchronicity of their actions before beginning to laugh. 

"Alright, so we're very alike!" Kieran protested, a sheepish grin pasted across his face. "Never mind that, we've gotta get out of here--Fintan and Ami, you can take care of Connor while Mako and I will take care of Lorcan." Everyone agreed and before long the two remaining 'John Does' were liberated from their hospital prison. 

* * *

  


Rei came out of the room that housed the sacred fire with weak knees. Just what would she say to the man sitting with her grandfather having tea so politely and nonchalantly? She knew there had been something compelling and out of the ordinary about him before she had read the fire, but now she wasn't sure how to address everything she knew. What would she do? 

Rory looked up as Rei came into the room where he sat drinking green tea with her grandfather. He was dismayed to note that she looked pale. 

"Are you alright, Rei?" her grandfather asked as he studied her. 

"Yes." came the monosyllabic answer. 

"Did you find the answers you were looking for in the fire?"the old man inquired. 

"I got some answers, but they posed many more questions. Would you mind if I talked to our guest alone, Ojiisan?" Her grandfather shook his head and stood up. He didn't mind. He had suspected all day that there was something special about the young foreigner. He seemed very grounded and had an aura that told of strength, power and serenity. Serenity was something his granddaughter lacked. Maybe some of Rory's would end up rubbing off on her. One could only hope. Rei and Rory watched in silence as the old man left the room, pulling the screen shut behind himself as he went. 

"Who are you?" Rei questioned, rounding on Rory as soon as her grandfather had left. 

"I've already told you. My name's Rory Mc Ruadman." 

"I mean who are you really?" Rei responded shortly. "Why do I see a raven in my mind's eye every time I look at you?" Rory's mouth dropped a little and Rei continued. "Where are you from? Where did that portal in the park that you and your friends stepped through originate?" Rory's mouth dropped even more and his mind reeled as he searched for an answer that would be both truthful and believable. He decided it would be easier to answer her second question first. 

"The portal brought us here from Tir na nOg." 

"As in the Celtic Tir na nOg?" she asked, disbelief colouring her query. 

"The very same." he answered. 

"But isn't that just a legend?" 

He shook his head. "No. It is very much a real and vibrant place...." Rory's explanation was interrupted by a melodic chirp that startled Rei and caused his own eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. He rummaged in his pocket and produced an ornately wrought buckle in the shape of a raven. "Excuse me," he began apologetically, "but I have to get this." 

"Do you want some privacy?" Rei asked, absorbing that Ami had been right about the purposes of the devices. 

"It's not really necessary--you already seem to know who I am, pretty much." he replied. Rei watched as he pressed on the red gem in the centre of the knotwork. "Go ahead." he said as a holographic image of a red-haired man was projected from the gem to shimmer in the centre of the room. Rei stared open mouthed as the hologram began to speak. 

"Fintan and I have found our bond-mates." 

"That's good news. Where are they?" 

"Here at the apartment with us. We've also 'rescued' Lorcan and Connor from the hospital. Connor's still out for the count, I'm afraid--the others are with him right now." The hologram turned its head and looked in Rei's direction. A slow smile spread across the man's face and as he bowed towards the dark haired priestess, he continued, "You've been busy too, I see." 

"Not half as busy as you. I'll be right there." Rory pressed the gem again. 

"Bring your friend." the hologram said with a smile before disappearing. 

"What the heck was that?!?!?!?" Rei asked, impressed and awe-struck all at once. "Just what kind of technology do you possess?" 

"That was Kieran." Rory answered with a smile as he stood up and put the buckle away in his pocket. "And it's magic, not technology. The buckles have spells built into them. They allow us to transmit our essences so we can communicate. It's almost like an amplifier for astral projection." 

".........." Rei was speechless. 

"I've got to get going. You're welcome to come along too if you like. It'll be the best way for you to get your answers." She nodded--there was no way she'd miss this for the world. She was going to find out as much as she could about these mysterious Celts and report back to the others. 


	8. A Rude Awakening?

Chapter Eight

by deDanaan

A Rude Awakening?

  
  
Kieran came back into the room where everyone else was sitting watching over the unconscious form of Connor. Lorcan looked up at him from over the rim of the cup of mulled wine he was nursing in his hands. "So?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow. "What did Rory have to say?" 

"Not much." the tall red-head replied. "He's on his way back....and he's bringing a friend with him." 

"A friend?" Mako asked, looking up quizzically at her bond-mate. "Who?" 

"A girl with long, black hair and violet eyes," Kieran answered, winking at her as he continued, "she seems familiar somehow." 

"Rei-chan!" Ami and Makoto exclaimed excitedly in unison. 

* * *

"Oi, choto matte!" Rei called out to Rory. He was already half way down the steps that led to the street. She had wanted to change out of her uniform but he hadn't given her the opportunity to do so. The funny thing was that for the second time that day, she was more curious than angry. He stopped and looked back at her. 

"Well, are you coming or not?" he asked. She glared at him. 

"Yesss...." she hissed in reply. "Why do you think I asked you to wait up?" He didn't give her an answer, just swept a hand out in front of himself in a gesture that indicated she should join him. She hurried down the steps to stand beside him. He offered her his arm and she blushed as she accepted it. 

As they made contact they both flinched from the force of their bond finally cementing. Rei looked Rory over curiously as she tried to sort out what was happening to her. 

Garnet Sadar noticed how his companion was studying him from beneath her brows. He watched her flinch as one of his memories exploded to life in her mind. 

Rei found herself looking at the horizon and shielded her eyes reflexively. Did she see the shadow of something as it passed in front of the setting sun? She could have sworn it was a huge bird. Where was she? She didn't recognize this place at all. Suddenly Rory's voice filled her head. 

"What you are experiencing right now is a moment in my life. A memory." 

"Why does it feel so real?" she asked, overwhelmed by sensory overload. "I'm overlooking the sea, but I don't recognize the place....I can smell flowers yet the scent is unfamiliar....Where am I, er, I mean where are you?" 

"Look around." his disembodied voice replied. "You tell me where we are." 

"In a meadow that sweeps to the sea. There's a huge keep on the top of the hill behind me. It's beautiful here...it's twilight in the western sky...." she paused as something caught her attention, "......I just thought I saw something." 

"What did you just see?" 

"I don't know. For a moment I thought it was a huge bird, but there's no way...." She trailed off with a gasp as a giant raven dropped from the sky to land a scant few feet away from where she stood. She could feel Rory's amusement tickling at the back of her mind. 

"What's so funny?" she demanded, distracted. 

"You. You just described my reaction perfectly. You're experiencing my first encounter with her." he answered. 

"Who?" 

"The Battle Raven." 

"The Battle Raven?" 

"Look!" he instructed, directing her back into the memory. 

A large black raven was studying her. Studying Rory, actually, but the experience felt so real she was having trouble disassociating herself from it. The raven was magnificent, almost as tall as she herself was. How could it be real? She'd never heard of them getting that big before. Suddenly the form of the raven began to shift and it metamorphosed into a tall, rail-thin woman with long black hair. She was sharp featured and swathed from head to toe in black. Rei was awestruck as Rory's memory swept over her. 

"You called to me, Son of Ruadman?" the woman asked in a gravelly voice, as she took a step toward where Rory stood. He took a step backward reflexively and the woman laughed as she continued her advance. "Do you know who I am?" 

Rory nodded. "You are Morrigu, the Battle Raven." He thought his voice sounded a lot steadier than it felt. He was terrified and ecstatic all at once and his stomach was roiling. 

"And why did you call me?" It was the question he'd been waiting for her to ask. 

"Blood calls to blood. I was sent out to find the truth of my blood. You are my heritage." He quoted the words of the ritual perfectly and held his breath as he waited for her reaction. He had been told by the druids that this ceremony was necessary for one who hoped to join them as an acolyte. 

"And you are the fruit of my legacy," the woman answered. 

"What legacy?" He was curious as to what she was referring to. 

"It's something you'll grow into. It is the gift of my blood, son of my grandson. Do you understand?" Rory nodded and she reached out to cup his chin so that he met her gaze. Her eyes were the same liquid gold of his own, he realized. He felt as if her stare was burning something into his soul and tried not to flinch in her grip. "Go back and tell the Comhairle Draocht these words, 'Look into the heart of a man who knows the truth of his blood.' This is how they will know the ritual is complete." With that, she released her grip on his chin and stepped back from him, reverting to raven form as she did so. She didn't leave right away, though, content to stay and study him for a minute more before taking wing. Rory stood numb as he watched her silhouette recede into the last remnants of sunset far on the western horizon. 

Rei was also numb, not only from the memory she had shared but from the way it had been shared. How could she be in his mind? She had so many questions. Would there be answers?

* * *

Lady Covellite and Saoirse materialized on the roof of the observation deck of the Tokyo Tower. Their arrival during the usual noon-hour madness in Tokyo went unnoticed, and they began to study the place that was to be the starting point of their invasion from their impressive vantage point. 

Saoirse studied Lady Covellite out of the corner of his eye. He still wasn't sure of her. Why had he been paired with her? Someone higher up than him knew something he didn't--like why they launched the offensive here on Earth rather than in Tir Na nOg. He got the impression she was a little irate at having to leave her aide behind while they went on this reconnaissance mission. 

Covellite, for her part, was barely controlling her rage. How dare they separate her from Hessite. She had yet to be apart from him in all their years of partnership. Was this a condition of the agreement they had struck with the Fomori? Was it because their General preferred to work without an aide? She stole a glance at him and found that he was studying her as well. "He must be as uncomfortable as I am with this alliance." she thought to herself as she turned to address him out loud. 

"General, what kind of talent have the Fomori got to devote to this mission?" She had heard rumours as to the make-up of her ally's forces--some pretty dark and sinister, actually--but then again, weren't there a few surprises in her own ranks? 

"I guess that depends on what course of action we decide to take." he replied. "This little excursion today will help us make up our minds." 

She nodded, agreeing with him. "What can you tell me about the Tuatha de Danaan?" she asked. 

"What would you like to know?" he asked, continuing before she had time to frame an answer. "They've been our enemies for thousands of years. They're masters of the magic arts and champions of the fine arts. They're formidable warriors who throw themselves into every facet of their lives with equal vigor." Covellite watched him count off the reasons on his fingers. 

"If I didn't know better, General, I'd say you admire them." Saoirse didn't dignify her comment with a response--Lady Covellite's observation hit pretty close to home. 

"So," he began, changing the subject, "what can you tell me about the traditional enemies of your people?" 

"For many thousands of years, the Negaverse has tried to conquer this realm. We have had more success on some occasions than others, but ultimately any foothold we gain is broken by the Senshi." 

He looked at her quizzically. "The Senshi?" 

"Their warriors. They are the guardians of this dimension and have thwarted our plans again and again." He could tell from the venom in her voice as she spoke that she harboured a great hatred for these Senshi. 

"And thus we combine our forces to take out this double threat." They smiled at each other then, but it was a grim smile. The smile of two people making the most out of a situation that was to neither's liking. 

"Shall we get to work?" Covellite asked. "I'm eager to plan our strategy and I'm sure you are too." Saoirse nodded and they split up to cover as much ground as possible before they regrouped to plan their attack. 

* * *

  
  
Niamh met up with her mother and sisters in the great hall of their home. She looked around the place a little wistfully, taking time to commit all the familiar sights to memory. She stared at the shadows thrown by the torches burning warmly in their sconces high on the walls. She drank in the splendour of the the rich tapestries hanging all around the hall that told marvelous tales of the Tuatha deDanaan down throughout the ages. She walked over to where her mother's huge, gold-inlaid harp sat majestically on the dias in the corner of the hall, running a finger gently along its dark polished oak as she recalled the many evenings people had gathered to enjoy the music. She could almost hear the heartbreakingly beautiful ballads she and Kieran would sing together with their mother echoing off the walls. 

Finally she turned to face her family, a warm smile of remembrance lighting up her face. 

"Are you ready, Mavournin?" her mother asked. 

"About as ready as I'll ever be." she replied. "I'm excited and scared to death at the same time." she added, admitting her feelings in a voice that shook slightly. 

"That's only natural." Aislin said as she came over and draped a comforting arm around her daughter's shoulders. Her youngest sister, Derbhuil, just nine years old, came and snuggled under her free arm, offering silent comfort. She hugged the girl in return. 

"I'll carry your bag." thirteen year old Sorcia volunteered. Naimh gave it up without protest and the four strikingly similar red-heads left the comfort of their home to begin the trek to the stones. 

Kalpernus was waiting with Malachy and the small group that had gathered to wish them well on their mission. He was impatient, wanting to send his daughter off through the stones to Earth before he changed his mind and ruled that she couldn't go. He sighed and rubbed tired, reddened eyes with his hands. It seemed like forever since he had gotten a full night's sleep. 

"Here they come now." Malachy informed him with a friendly nudge. Kalpernus looked up to see the small party of women climbing the steep path to the stone circle and immediately brightened. As they reached the top, they stopped and looked around at the people gathered. 

King Nuada and the Triumverate Council were there, along with all the highest ranking Bards, Brehons and Druids. Niamh swallowed down the fear that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her as 

Nuada, the Ard-Ri, stepped forward and addressed the crowd gathered to see her and Malachy off through the stones. 

"It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you the importance of this mission has increased greatly." the king began, his clear blue eyes suddenly clouded by worry. "Less than an hour ago, the Triumverate Council was informed by our operative in the Fomori Kingdoms that our enemies are celebrating an alliance they have formed with an unknown faction who come from a dimension called the Negaverse." Mutters of disbelief ran through the gathered crowd as Nuada continued. "This alliance is the realization of the first part of our ancient prophecy." Nuada paused, looking from face to face of those gathered around him, his gaze lingering longest on the two who would pass through the stones to find the Sadar and reset the link between them and Tir Na nOg. "It is now of utmost importance that the communications link with the Sadar be re-established with great expediency. For this purpose, devices have been wrought for Niamh and Malachy that directly link them with the imaging pool regardless of where they are on Earth." Nuada turned to signal Kalpernus and the druid produced two silver knotwork sigils from the folds of his robes and presented them to the king. 

"Malachy," Nuada began, motioning for the large, scarred Battle-Mage to step forward to receive his device. The king then placed a delicately wrought knotwork dragon into the grizzled warrior's hands. 

"Thank you, Ard-Ri...." the tall man trailed off as he studied the elaborate sigil he had just been handed. He understood the amount of work that went into producing these exceedingly rare artifacts and was overcome with emotion. 

"Niamh," the king addressed the daughter of Aislin and Kalpernus. The young woman stepped forward, biting her lower lip nervously as she willed her hands to stop trembling. The king deposited an ornately wrought fox on her outstretched palm and watched silent tears of joy course down her cheeks. 

Suddenly, everyone's attention was caught by a soft mist that was emanating from the centre of the stone circle, twining its cold tendrils around their legs. The Ard-Ri held up welcoming arms and called to all those who were gathered before him, "Samhain is officially here. The time has come to send our messengers on their way!" A cheer went up from the gathered crowd and Malachy nodded towards his travelling companion to let her know that it was time for them to leave. 

Naimh swallowed the lump in her throat and reached out one last time to hug her mother and sisters. It was so hard to let them all go. When she was finished, her father approached her. Kalpernus hugged her hard and, as he let her go, he reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a scroll case. He thrust the scroll case into his daughter's hand and ushered her towards the rift in the centre of the stones before she had a chance to protest. Malachy held out his hand. She took it, and together they stepped through the Samhain Portal to Earth. 

* * *

"So, where are we going?" Rei asked her companion as they waited for the elevator in one of the ritzier apartment buildings in the Minato-Ku district of Tokyo. 

"You'll see soon enough." Rory replied cryptically, infuriating her. He was standing casually against the wall, studying his fingernails and looking for the world as if he had nothing to care about. 

Rei was at the end of her tether and couldn't help exploding. 

"Now, listen here..." she began furiously, trailing off as he looked up at her, puzzled. 

"Is something the matter?" he inquired. She growled in reply and he raised his eyebrows quizzically, wondering what was wrong. Rei found her anger diffusing yet again. What was it about this man that had a calming effect on her? 

"No.....I guess not." she answered quietly, mulling over everything that had happened today in her mind. Just then the elevator arrived and the doors opened to reveal its cargo. An older couple stepped out and excused themselves as they moved past Rei and Rory. 

"After you," Rory gestured towards the now empty car awaiting them. Rei nodded in thanks and stepped inside, followed by her companion. She watched curiously as he pressed the button for the thirtieth floor and wondered how he could afford an expensive rooftop apartment. 

Rory could feel her gaze on the back of his neck and her questions tickling the edge of his mind. Was she aware of their link? He didn't think so. He turned to look at her. 

"You've got questions for me?" he asked. She jumped, surprised by his query. 

"Not really," she began, thinking for a second before continuing, "actually, yes I do, but I don't really think it's polite to pry." 

"Pry away." he replied with a grin. It was almost a challenge, and if there was something Rei couldn't resist, it was a challenge. 

"How was it that I was in your memory? That's not possible, is it?" she asked. They had been silent since the incident on the temple steps. She'd been too overwhelmed by what she had experienced to question him until now. 

"We're linked." he answered simply. He didn't turn to face her as he replied, content to continue watching the lights in the elevator panel change to indicate the passing stories. They were now about nine floors into their ascent. 

"But how?" she questioned, her tone indicating her growing frustration as she tried to grasp just how they were connected. 

"Body and soul." he answered, finally turning to look at her. "We were predestined to bond, and when we shook hands this morning we triggered the bonding process. Of course, it didn't finally become permanent until we touched again on the steps this afternoon." 

"Aaaahh!" Understanding lit in her eyes. That would explain why he had been on her mind all morning and why the sacred fire had revealed him. "So you felt that weird electricity too?" she queried. He nodded and she continued, "Why me and not someone else? I mean, did you have to come all the way to Japan to find someone to bond with?" 

"Do you believe in prophecies?" he asked, responding to her questions with a question of his own. She grinned at him. 

"Of course. What kind of a Miko would I be if I didn't?" she replied, adding yet another question into the mix. It was his turn to smile. 

"Our coming together has been prophesied for many, many generations in Tir Na nOg." 

Before Rei had a chance to frame any more questions, the elevator came to a quick stop and she felt her stomach rise to sit in her throat for a split second. She closed her eyes, hating the feeling the sudden cessation of movement caused. 

"Well, here we are," Rory addressed her as the doors swished open in front of them. Rei nodded, stepping out of the car and following him towards apartment 3001. 

* * *

"Do you suppose it's something more than just the physical?" Ami asked Fintan as he sat frowning over the unconscious form of his brother. It had been an hour now and he was getting frustrated. 

"I don't know," he answered, "it's got to be something.....I mean, there doesn't really seem to be anything wrong with him. It doesn't make sense." 

"So how do we go about finding out?" Makoto asked. 

"I could use my visor and computer." Ami volunteered. 

"Your what?" Lorcan was confused. 

"They're diagnostic tools. I'd have to transform, though," she was about to add something else when she was distracted by the sound of the door opening. Everyone looked up, their eyes widening as Rory ushered a hesitant Rei into the apartment ahead of him. Rei, for her part, was stunned to see Ami and Makoto there. 

"W-what are you guys doing here?" she managed to stammer out. Makoto couldn't help but burst out laughing at the stricken look on her friend's face. 

"Nice to see you too, Rei-chan." Makoto held out a welcoming hand and Rei rushed over to where her friends were sitting. 

Kieran looked over at Rory. "Doesn't she know?" he gestured in the direction of Rei. 

"I haven't exactly had the chance to fill her in on everything yet." the black-haired druid replied. 

"Fill me in on what?" Rei was lost. "What's going on? How come you two are here with these guys?" 

"It would probably be better if Rory filled you in. I don't think we could do as thorough a job." Ami replied apologetically, looking from Rei to Rory. 

"Will you listen to what I have to say?" Rory asked. Rei looked from face to face of the others, unable to read anything in their expressions. She nodded. 

"I will." 

"Then come with me." he held out a hand and she took it, flinching as if shocked but not letting go. He led her across the room to the patio doors and ushered her through onto the balcony, closing the glass behind them.   


"So what's going on?" Rei asked, rounding on Rory, her eyes flashing dangerously. 

"Sshh!!! Not out loud." he admonished without speaking, tightening his grip on her hand. Her eyes widened as she realized he was communicating telepathically with her. "Direct your thoughts towards me." 

"Can you hear me?" she sent the thought at him as hard as she could. He winced and nodded. 

"Yes, but don't think as hard towards me if we're in physical contact. That was the equivalent of a very loud shout." came the silent response. 

"Sorry." she replied timidly, penitently. 

"That's okay. Now where do you want me to start?" 

"How about at the beginning?" She smiled and he joined her as he gleaned what she was thinking. 

"No, it won't take forever to fill you in--but we do have a lot of stuff to wade through. What do you want to know first?" 

"Everything." 

"Alright. It's not like you're asking much. Brace yourself." he instructed. Suddenly a steady flow of his memories--beginning with his earliest ones--assaulted her senses. Early warning notwithstanding, Rei was overwhelmed by the experience. She was reliving Rory's life in a matter of minutes. 

She saw a generous soul, inquisitive and reverent from an early age. A serene boy who was drawn to nature. She understood his curiosity, his need to know and understand the unseen forces that shaped the world. He was a kindred spirit and she couldn't get over how alike they were. He was a priest--not a Shinto priest like her, but of another shamanistic faith. They were kindred spirits. 

She relived his coming together with the other Sadar and their growth as a team, their hidden talents manifesting as they matured. He was an empath and a diviner. She herself was a diviner, but while she used the sacred fire to foresee the future, his methods were different--more earthy. She was also somewhat empathic, but her own emotions tended to get in the way of her readings. A smile flitted across her face as she recalled her grandfather's numerous admonitions about her inability to suppress her feelings. Rory caught the train of her thoughts and joined her smiling. 

He was also a descendant of the Battle Raven. The legacy of the Morrigu meant he had the ability to shape-shift into raven form. Rei started at this revelation. No wonder the image of the raven was so caught up in her perception of him. He was a man, yet he also was a raven. 

Now she knew everything about Rory, it was time to reciprocate. Mindful of what he had told her about directing her thoughts too hard at him, she carefully concentrated on relaying her memories. She cautiously sent her thoughts off towards him, hoping she wasn't causing him discomfort. And that in itself was a first. When before had she cared before about how the other person was feeling? Never, until now, except with her fellow Senshi and her family. 

She watched Rory's eyes widen as he experienced her life. His brow creased as he relived the first time she came to the temple to live with her Grandfather, a stranger to the young girl until that point in time. Rei felt his laughter reverberate inside her head as he tasted her anger and headstrong personality, chafing against her new life at first, what with all its spirituality, but eventually coming to accept it. Now that she thought about it--all these years later--she couldn't help but laugh herself, even though at the time it wasn't funny at all. 

Rory came to know the distinctive characteristics of every Senshi, even those who were currently absent from the scene. It astounded him how their past and future seemed to mesh so comfortably with the present. He and the other Sadar had to battle the spectre of the past at every turn. As far as many of his people were concerned, they had an impossible legacy to live up to. How could they compare to their ancestors? How could they compare to the Dagda, Morrigan, Macha, CuChulainn, Lugh Lamfada and the rest of the early heros? 

"Don't doubt yourself." Rei admonished, picking up on his insecurity. "Together our teams will triumph." 

"We have no choice. We must win the coming battle. The lives of everyone in both our worlds depend on it." he answered out loud, frowning as he directed his gaze through the window at the others who still sat gathered around the prone figure of Connor. 

"What's wrong with him?" Rei asked. 

"I don't know.......I haven't been able to sense him in a while. Shall we go in?" Rory looked back at her. Rei nodded and he opened the door, stepping back to let her pass through it before him. 

* * *

It was just after midnight on Halloween in Ireland when a strange mist started to flow from inside the ancient tomb/stones known as New Grange. As the mist intensified and spread, a white light flashed and then was gone--leaving Malachy and Niamh standing, momentarily dazed, in the centre of the main burial chamber. 

After a moment, when he had recovered, Malachy summoned a small globe of light and set it floating about a foot in front of him. Then he turned to see if his companion was alright. Niamh stood there taking in their surroundings with an awestruck look on her face. 

"Are you okay?" the large battle-mage inquired. Niamh nodded in reply. She was more than okay, she was wonderful. 

"What is this place, Malachy?" she asked when she had finally found her voice. "Why are we underground?" 

"These stones became a very sacred place, revered for their power. So revered and sacred that they were enclosed in a burial mound for an important king centuries ago. Now shall we get going? We've got a lot of ground to cover to get to where the Sadar are." 

Niamh fell into step behind him as he left the mound, still drinking in everything around her as it was illuminated by the globe that floated a foot in front of Malachy, keeping pace with them as they walked. 

* * *

"I don't know......he seems fine according to my readings." Mercury sighed as she deactivated her visor and snapped her console shut. "I can't find anything out of the ordinary wrong with him." 

She sat down next to Fintan, a frustrated look playing across her features. 

"I haven't been able to fully sense him for days." Rory added. "Not fully since just before we entered the portal from Tir Na nOg. He's alive in the physical sense, but it's as if he's an empty shell on the spiritual level." 

"What are we going to do?" Makoto asked, leaning forward to cup her chin on the palm of her hand. "We're going to need each and every one of us in prime condition to face the battle ahead of us." 

Suddenly Lorcan sat up as if shocked. "That's it!" he exclaimed. Everyone looked over at him curiously and he continued. "I think Makoto-san has hit the nail on the head." 

"Huh? How's that?" Mako and Kieran asked in unison. 

"We haven't all gathered yet. Connor and I have yet to bond with our respective Senshi." 

"Ah, I see what you're getting at now," Kieran said with a smile, "you're hoping that a good woman will be able to accomplish what we and modern medicine haven't." 

"Precisely." Lorcan replied, steepling his hands in front of his face. 

* * *

Usagi and Mina met up outside the school gates after classes were over. They stood around for a while wondering if in fact Ami and Makoto had showed up and would be coming to join them any minute now. As the numbers of students leaving the school grounds dwindled, they gave up hope and began to walk home together. As they were crossing the park where the strangers had first appeared, Usagi decided to say something to break the silence. 

"I wonder what happened to them. It's really not like Ami-chan to miss school." she shook her head, a worried frown creasing her brow. 

"I know," Mina agreed, "I can see Mako-chan skipping out, but Ami....." She was interrupted mid sentence by the chirping of communicators in stereo. Both girls looked at each other and back at their respective wrists. Mina cast a furtive glance around to see if anyone was nearby and was assured that no-one was close enough to hear. 

"Go ahead." Usagi spoke into the com as she activated the view screen. Ami's face appeared on the tiny monitor. 

"Usagi-chan! Is Mina-chan with you?" 

"Hai!" Usagi answered, nodding. "Where have you been, Ami-chan? Is there trouble?" 

"Not yet." Ami replied. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mina asked over Usagi's shoulder. 

"I'll fill you in when you get here. Can you come right away to Apartment 3001, 3-12-10 Shiba-Daimon, Minato-Ku? Mako-chan and Rei-chan are here already." 

"What's going on?" Usagi queried, a worried note creeping into her voice. 

"I can't explain it. You have to be here. Just get here as fast as you can." Ami ended the communication. 

"What was that all about?" Usagi wondered out loud. 

"Let's find out." Mina answered with a grin. As they picked up the pace she turned to her friend. "Don't you just love a mystery?" she asked. 

"It all depends on the surprise at the end." Usagi replied. 

* * *

Hessite looked up as Lady Covellite swept into the room where he sat pouring over the scrolls they had brought with them from the Negaverse. 

"How did your scouting mission with old General Stiff go?" he asked amicably. 

"Better than I hoped. He's competent." She walked over to stand by the window that overlooked the courtyard. "Who do we have at our disposal who isn't adverse to working on a team?" 

"Why?" Hessite asked. "We have quite a few that are already teamed up with someone." 

"Do you think they can work with Fomori partners?" Covellite asked, turning back from the window to face her companion. "It seems our partners would prefer it if we tag-teamed the enemy." 

"Not many are that Xenophobic." Hessite was still puzzled. 

"I hope so." Covellite replied. "You want to see some of the cards they have up their sleeves." 

"That scary?" Hessite inquired. Covellite nodded. 

"And more. They're much stranger than anyone we have. You have absolutely no idea." she walked over to where Hessite was sitting and sat down opposite him with a sigh. "Hand me that scroll." she pointed to the list he was holding and he gave it to her. 

"Here you go." Hessite passed the roll of paper he was holding to Covellite. She looked it over and sighed again. "I don't know about this list, our troop requisition may cause problems." 

"It's not our fault." Hessite reassured. "The palace gave us these lists. We can let them know we need an update and what the new parameters are." 

"Get to it." was all Lady Covellite said. She stood up, sighed again, and walked towards the door, pausing with her hand on the knob, "I know I can trust you, Hessite. Don't disappoint me with your choices." 

* * *

"So?" Usagi broke the silence as she and Mina rode the elevator to Suite 3001. 

"I don't know." Mina replied. "I really don't know. What's going on?" Mina and Usagi had been pondering that question ever since Ami had called them on their wrist communicators. 

"Your guess is as good as mine, Mina-chan." 

"Why was Ami so cryptic?" Mina queried, continuing, "I mean, why was she more so than usual?" Usagi shrugged in response and shook her head, she really had no idea. 

"I'll say this much, we haven't had this much intrigue in our lives in about six months." 

"I know," Mina replied, "and I get the picture." 

"Kowai desu!!!!" Usagi exclaimed, her eyes wide and frightened for effect. Mina punched her in the arm and laughed. 

"Enough, Usagi-chan!" 

"Gomen nasai." her friend replied, rubbing her shoulder but still laughing, glad to have lightened the moment. In reality both their minds were doing double time trying to figure out what exactly was up. As the elevator lurched to a stop and the doors swished open in front of them, they quieted, grabbing each others hand and squeezing, lending strength to each other as they stepped into the corridor. 

* * *

Connor shifted and moaned. Fintan leaned over his brother, hoping that he'd open his eyes and smile in recognition at him. He was disappointed and muttered an oath under his breath that only Ami caught. 

"Now, now!" she admonished him telepathically. "Such language." He shrugged and she smiled, laying a comforting hand on his arm. 

"I'm just so frustrated." he answered. "I wish he'd just wake up." 

Connor moaned and began to thrash around on the couch where the others had laid him out. Everyone gathered around, concerned. "Can you sense him, Rory?" Lorcan asked, looking from the moaning Sadar to the tall, dark-haired Druid. Rory shook his head, then nodded. 

"I'm getting fleeting impressions of him. It's like spotting the brightness of the moon as it frees itself from the embrace of a cloudy night sky for a second before it's obscured again." 

Just then the doorbell to the apartment sounded. "I'll bet that's Usagi-chan and Mina-chan." Makoto said, standing up and making her way to the door to act as hostess. "I wonder if Connor senses his bond-mate is close." she mused. Lorcan nodded in agreement. 

"That could very well be," he answered, "but it could also mean that the enemy is close. One of his gifts is that he's always had an uncanny knack for knowing when trouble is just around the corner." 

* * *

Lady Covellite and General Saoirse stood on the roof of the Tokyo Tower's observation deck once again. This time they were not alone. A masked man clad in grey stood off to the side of the Fomori general and a flamboyantly dressed woman stood next to Covellite. 

"You understand your objective?" Saoirse addressed them both. They nodded. 

"We've matched you because your abilities complement each other. Work together to flush the enemy into the open." Covellite continued, looking from one to the other. "Failure is not an option. When you have succeeded in your task, we will join you." The pair bowed and disappeared, sinking through the roof of the observation deck to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting masses below. 

Startled tourists and school groups screamed out as Shade and Colour, the allied soldiers representing the Fomori/Negaverse alliance, materialized in their midst. Youngsters, driven by fear, sheared off from their classes and terrified adults fell to the floor, scrambling backwards and babbling incoherently. 

Colour, the flamboyantly dressed female soldier representing the Negaverse stood, cackling horribly as she thrust out her arms, hands held wide to encompass the whole area spread before her. The people who had been milling about mindlessly trying to escape just moments before stopped in their tracks and collapsed with surprised looks on their faces as all colour drained from them and pooled in a huge ball of rainbow-hued energy contained in her outspread arms. The Negaverse's representative turned towards her Fomori partner, a wide smile on her face. 

"Your turn!" she exclaimed with glee. Shade nodded and stepped forward. 

"Arise!" he called out, lifting his hands high above his head and animating the now empty shells of Colour's hapless victims. Slowly, as if they were puppets, the depleted forms rose and began to stagger jerkily across the floor. "Do my bidding, Zombies!" he screamed, his voice breaking as it gave way to hysterical laughter. 

* * *

Usagi and Mina were surprised by the speed with which the door to apartment 3001 was opened. They stepped back involuntarily, unsure of what to expect. 

"Hey, guys, how's it going?" Makoto asked. Her light greeting was totally unexpected in light of their conversation with Ami and the pair did a face-vault straight to the floor. "What?" Makoto asked, "What's the matter?" 

"Nothing," Usagi began, trying to explain their reaction to Mako-chan. 

"What do you mean, nothing?" Mina butted in angrily. "She scared the hell out of me!" 

"So....would you like to come in, or are you planning on staying here all day?" Makoto asked. 

Both of her friends glared at her and she continued, "Okay, okay, come in." She stepped back and opened the door completely before she swept an arm inside the suite, beckoning her friends inside. 

"Come in and meet everyone." 

"How the Hell can you be so calm?" Usagi asked Makoto as she stepped over the threshold. 

"I already know what's going on." Mako replied. Usagi and Mina rolled their eyes, knowing that the moment they entered the apartment they were in for one heck of a surprise. 

"What the Hell....?" Usagi swore as she stepped over the threshold and her gaze fell upon Lorcan. "What the Hell are you doing here?" 

"Nice to see you again, Princess." Lorcan responded with a smile. Minako laid a hand on her friend's shoulder, unsure of what was going on. 

"What are you talking about, Usagi-chan?" she asked, following Usagi's line-of-sight to settle on the handsome features of a silver-haired man. "What's going on?" she continued eyes widening as she took in the sight of her comrades sitting companionably among strange men. 

"That's him," Usagi replied, "the man at the hospital who identified Mercury and me." 

"You're kidding, right?" 

"No, I'm not." 

"Usagi-chan, Mina-chan, let me introduce you to everyone." Makoto said, stepping in before hysteria seized her friends. 

* * *

Shade directed his minions towards the tower exits and onto the street. Surprised motorists swerved to avoid the crowd spilling mindlessly into oncoming traffic. A few were unsuccessful in their attempt and ploughed into the unresisting bodies, scattering them like bowling pins. Most of the victims got back up again as if nothing had happened, leaving the motorists trembling and open mouthed behind the wheels of their vehicles. 

Covellite and Saoirse stood impassively looking down on the scene unfolding on the street before them. "It has begun." Covellite stated simply. 

"Indeed." replied the Fomori general. 

Colour had taken a few moments to seal the energy she had stolen into a spherical talisman--which she hung about her neck for safekeeping--before joining her new comrade-at-arms as he directed his zombie mob to wreak havoc. 

"Which way will we go?" she queried, as she reached his side. 

"The route that causes the most destruction, of course." he replied through the mask that obscured his features. 

"Lead on." 

* * *

"Come on, you expect me to believe this?" Mina asked, looking around the room from face to face. No one was smiling, they were all serious. Even Usagi's brow was creased as she digested what they had been told. 

Connor moaned again and writhed, a whimper escaping his lips. Mina turned to look at him. "What's his problem?" 

"We can't wake him up." Ami and Fintan answered in unison. 

"Is he hurt?" Mina questioned, leaning in to get a closer look. 

"Not physically as far as we can tell. We haven't been able to establish what's going on mentally." Ami clarified, leaning in with her friend. "But at least he's now tossing and turning which means he's out of the comatose state he was in earlier." 

"These guys really aren't our enemies?" she asked again. Three couples shook their heads synchronously. 

"No." came the harmonious answer of six voices blended into one. Minako felt like asking them if they'd ever considered joining a choir. 

"Well, if this doesn't beat all." Mina sat down on the edge of the couch where Connor was laid out and sighed deeply, ruffling the fringes of hair that hung over her forehead. "It's all pretty overwhelming, don't you think, Usagi-chan?" 

Usagi was studying everyone in the room through slitted eyes, especially Lorcan. "Huh?" Mina's question brought her back to the here and now. "Yeah....it's a lot to take in." 

"What's the matter?" Mina asked, sensing her friend was preoccupied. 

"I don't know. I just can't shake the feeling that we're in for trouble like we've never seen before and sooner than we think." 

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!" A ragged cry tore from Connor's throat, startling everyone in the room. He suddenly sat bolt upright, practically springing into the arms of Mina. The young blonde woman reached out reflexively to stop and steady him, grasping the young man's upper arms tightly to keep him from falling to the floor. In a flash, Minako's consciousness was wrenched from her own mind to join with that of Connor's and she shared in his vision. The others were startled to hear her voice join with his in a collective scream. 

Ami and Fintan sprung to life then and moved quickly to break the physical contact shared by Mina and Connor. Ami pulled Minako back and propped her in the corner of the couch, quickly checking her eyes and pulse to make sure her stunned friend was okay. Satisfied that her fellow Senshi was just in mild shock, Ami turned to look at Fintan and Connor, her eyes widening as she shared in her bond-mate's awe. 

Connor was awake, his stormy grey-green eyes taking in every detail of his surroundings. After a moment, his gaze settled on the young woman who had unwittingly shared in his nightmare. 

"Minako?" he asked in a quiet voice. The glazed look left Mina's eyes and she focused on the young man who spoke her name. "Your name is Aino Minako." 

"Yes," Mina replied, as the light of recognition kindled in her mind, "and yours is Connor MacLiath." She sat forward and offered a hand in what she knew was the traditional western greeting and Connor reached out to clasp her hand in return. While a puzzled look fleeted across Usagi's face, three sets of couples shared smiles as they anticipated what would happen next. 

* * *

Luna sat up quickly as she heard a sound outside Usagi's bedroom window. She rose from her nest among the unmade bedding and padded quickly over to the window sill, nudging the slightly ajar window further open with her nose. The sleek, black Moon Cat stepped outside onto the ledge and looked around. 

"Luna," came a familiar voice from a branch higher than her vantage point. 

"Artemis, thank goodness it's only you." Luna replied in clipped tones, her fear suddenly assuaged, "I had such a bad feeling." 

"You and me both. I've been on tender-hooks all day and I don't know why." the white cat bounded from his perch to stand in front of his fellow guardian. "Where's Usagi?" 

"I could ask you the same question about Minako and I'm pretty sure our answers would be the same." the black cat replied a little testily. 

"So I guess we both wish our charges would tell us more than they currently do." Artemis sighed, a hopeless tone colouring his voice. "They may have grown over the past few years, but they're far from mature." Luna nodded vigorously in agreement. 

"Shall we go look for them?" the white cat looked over at his compatriot with a raised brow. 

"I think that's a good idea. But I also think if we go looking for trouble, we'll eventually find the Senshi. You know how it is with them." Luna began to jump from branch to branch, making her way to street level. Artemis nodded--he knew how impetuous the Senshi could be--and followed Luna, landing to stand next to her on the sidewalk. 

"Let's go." he answered simply knowing, that no matter what they found, it would not be to their liking. 

* * *

Mina was yet again swept away in a vision that made her sick to her stomach. She found herself looking down upon the familiar skyline of central Tokyo, but she felt disembodied--like she was a stranger seeing the place for the first time. She understood that she was seeing things through Connor's eyes as she looked down from where she floated upon a disturbing scene. 

A horde was gathering in the Sengakuji Shrine area of Minato-Ku. They had made their way down Sakurada-Dori to congregate around the ancient and revered shrine to the 47 Ronin of legend. Mina gasped in horror as she realized what they were trying to do and shook herself free of the vision, a stricken look on her face. 

"Minna-chan," she gasped in an anguished tone, "a terrible evil is trying to raise the honourable dead from Sengakuji Shrine. We've got to stop them. Ah, Megami-sama! " 

A moment later, Connor shook himself free of the vision and looked around the room at his friends and their bond-mates, a terrible clarity in his startling eyes. "She's telling the truth! Oh, sweet Danu! It's horrible, if we don't do something now........" 


End file.
